


stripes

by farthendur



Series: it's a jungle out there [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Blowjobs, Casual Johnjae, Casual Sex, Cat Hybrid!Taeyong, First Meetings, Fluff, Getting Together, Hybrid!AU, Hybrids, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Open Relationships, Polyamory, Romance, Tiger Hybrid!Johnny, i promise there's no weird shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2019-08-16 18:35:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 57,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16500599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/farthendur/pseuds/farthendur
Summary: They say that big cat hybrids are vicious, calculating and a force to be reckoned with, yet Taeyong sees nothing but tender softness about Johnny. He hopes that the glimmer in Ten's eye means his owner feels the same.or, Taeyong is a domestic cat hybrid and Ten's pet, and Johnny is a tiger hybrid with a sad backstory, a heart of gold and a body to die for. He's everything Ten and Taeyong didn't know was missing from their relationship.





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

  * For [birdsintokyo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/birdsintokyo/gifts).



> [exo voice] I CAN'T BELIEVE Johnny really blessed us like that by being a tiger daddy for Halloween!! So this might have some crack later on, but I hope it's also wonderfully endearing and heartwarming. There will be explicit smut in the following chapters. 
> 
> I owe the entire idea for this fic to Paula who empowered me to embrace writing such furry shit for the sake of Johnny's tiger daddy self. She was also instrumental in coming up with multiple plot points which will appear in this fic.
> 
> UNDER NO CONDITIONS MAY THIS FIC OR ANY PART OF IT BE REUPLOADED OR COPIED ANYWHERE ELSE.

The very first time he sees Johnny, his stomach does the most inexplicable of flips, warmth coursing through him.

The very first time Taeyong and Ten meet Johnny, the first snow is swirling through the air outside. When they enter the warmth of the small restaurant, Ten is whining about how they should’ve stayed home and enjoyed watching the snowflakes dance while curled up on the couch. Taeyong brushes a sweater paw over Ten’s cold cheek and reminds him it was, in fact, Ten’s idea to spoil him with a movie and dinner.

It’s a Thursday night, so the restaurant is not too busy, and an older woman serving one of the tables shows them to a booth. They huddle together, flipping through the menu. Taeyong nuzzles an ear against Ten’s cheek and Ten just barely stifles a giggle. His hybrid is overdue a trim - the fur on his ears has grown fuzzy and wavy and unruly. It gives the kitten an adorable messy look.

“Are we drinking tonight?” Ten asks, scanning the drinks page. His fingers card through Taeyong’s brown locks. He can feel a subtle, casual pur under his touch.

Taeyong purses his lips in thought, still deciding on his ramen, “I’m okay, baby, you can drink, if you want.” 

A figure stops before their table.

“Good evening, my name is Youngho and I will be your server tonight,” a voice says, and it’s a sexy voice, but tonight is about Ten and him, so Taeyong takes his time and doesn’t bother looking up yet. “Can I get you started on anything? I just want to let you know since it’s a bit late, the kitchen will be closing in about forty minutes.”

“Thank you, um, I think I’ll get started with water, aaaaand--” Ten flips back through his menu to remember what his order was going to be while Youngho sorts utensils and other table staples in front of them.

As Ten goes over his extra-specific order, Taeyong looks up and it happens.

Before him is a stunning man, tall, chiseled, yet so soft around the edges and in the tired corners of his mouth and the gentle slope of his nose. His hair, brown with hints of a dark orange, has been gelled up and out of his face, but stray locks are making their way out of the gel’s hold. Among those locks are nestled a pair of ears that appear to Taeyong to be just a bit droopy. They bear white and black stripes over the same dark orange, and the hairs poking out from the inside of them are white.They move naturally with the shift of sounds around the restaurant.

And then the man, who Taeyong immediately recognizes, with awe and trepidation, as a large tiger hybrid, lifts his eyes from his notepad to look at Taeyong and Taeyong loses all ability to speak. They’re a soothing dark brown with the occasional subtle splash of orange and they, too, seem tired, but there’s warmth to them. Nothing like what Taeyong would have expected a tiger hybrid’s eyes to be.

“And what can I get for you?” his voice brings Taeyong back to the present. It’s directed at him now. It seems softer. Perhaps Youngho thought he intimidated the smaller cat.

But Taeyong can’t find his own voice. He swallows thickly and his eyes dart to Ten for rescue, but his boyfriend is flipping through a dessert menu with interest. The silence stretches, and Taeyong is blushing, and Youngho tries a small smile, and Taeyong is blushing harder, and he looks down at his lap, at his fingers wringing together. He hasn’t felt like this since the day he first met Ten at the adoption agency, perhaps even since he was a young kitten. That’s how small the large hybrid makes him feel.

“What did you say you were getting, babe? Do you need the menu again, here,” Ten finally says and slings an arm around Taeyong’s shoulders.

Taeyong fumbles with the menu and tries to find the dish he’d previously picked, but Youngho’s voice sends another shiver down his whole body. It’s so gentle.

“Did you have a chance to look at today’s specials? They’re on the first page. Right--” the tiger hybrid reaches out, then seems to think better of it and just gestures at the menu, as Taeyong frantically flips through it. “I can come back in a second, if you need some more time.”

A quick glance confirms the soft, accommodating smile is back on Youngho’s face. Taeyong somehow stammers through his order, finally getting a grip on himself, and as soon as Youngho is gone, he presses closer to Ten’s side.

“You feeling okay, kitten?” Ten says, gently rubbing his fingers on his pet’s neck. Taeyong prays he can’t see his ears trembling. Why does he feel like this? It can’t be because Youngho is a big cat. A predator. He doesn’t feel fear. He feels...small. He feels tingly. God, what’s wrong with him? He’s not supposed to feel like this about anyone but Ten!

Thankfully, Ten seems just a bit too tired and distracted to really notice Taeyong’s distress, now significantly lessened since Youngho’s presence is gone. His owner can usually read him so well, but this is something that Taeyong needs to process on his own, and quickly.

Deciding to seek refuge in the comfort of his owner, Taeyong presses closer to Ten and nuzzles his neck. He inhales deeply the mixture of scents - Ten’s cologne, popcorn, and under those, Ten’s unique scent Taeyong loves so. He distracts himself by reading along with Ten, smiling at the article he’s pulled up on his phone. Ten’s arm is secure around his lower back.

How lovely it is to be out with Ten like this. The last few weeks have been busy for both of them, so date nights were sparse. Taeyong was ecstatic when Ten whispered in his ear that morning, _Be a good kitten and dress warm for me tonight. I’m taking my pretty boyfriend out on a date._ And though the snow changed their plans and made them opt for a movie instead of a walk downtown, tonight has been nothing short of lovely. Taeyong’s brown tail curls possessively, gratefully around Ten.

When Youngho comes back to their table, Taeyong’s got himself more under control. These things happen. Maybe it’s some pheromone thing about big cats that Taeyong doesn’t know about. His stomach still squeezes in a warm ball, but this time he can look at Youngho longer.

“Your food will be out in a few more minutes,” the waiter informs them as he unloads side dishes from his tray. His hands are big and veiny, but deft. His voice is still so gentle. In the next moment, Taeyong’s suspicions are confirmed, “I also brought this for you…”

It’s a small clay pot, filled to the brim with one of Taeyong’s favorite treats, a dessert of milk and rice, so sweet and refreshing, that cats often have as an appetizer too. It used to be his favorite at the nursery, though nowadays he has it more infrequently. Youngho must know how much cat hybrids love it. Do tiger hybrids like this kind of stuff too?

He’s looking at Taeyong when he continues, his voice apologetic, “It’s on the house. I know I can be a bit imposing sometimes to, uh, smaller hybrids, and I didn’t mean to intimidate you. I hope this makes you feel more comfortable here. And you know, my friends call me Johnny, so you can call me that too.”

Youngho -- Johnny -- smiles wider this time and dimples form on his cheeks. Taeyong’s almost lost his voice again. How is he so charming?

“Intimidated? Yongie wasn’t intimidated, were you, baby?” Ten squeezes Taeyong’s side, concern in his eyes.

“No, I-- I was just--”

“It’s no problem, it happens often,” Johnny smiles again.

Taeyong smacks his lips together, glances at Ten, then back at Johnny.

“Well, thank you, I-- this is one of my favorite desserts. Thank you so much. Johnny.”

Johnny’s smile reaches his eyes now. His ears twitch, they’ve risen from their previous droopy state. For the first time, Taeyong notices his tail, long and fluffy, striped, majestic, swishing behind him pleasantly.

“Yes, thank you so much, Johnny! But you shouldn’t have. Don’t worry about it, you can put this on our tab, okay? Don’t want to be taking that from your paycheck,” Ten waves an earnest hand with just as much charm. Taeyong doesn’t know where to look.

When Johnny walks away, Taeyong notices him tucking his tail around and under the apron he’s wearing just before he disappears into the kitchen. It must be tough, having to keep your tail away at all times like that. And Taeyong doesn’t want to even begin to think about the kinds of attitudes Johnny probably endures from more prejudiced customers. Despite minds changing about big cat hybrids, the widespread fetishization of their size, of their predatorial nature, or whatever other bullshit stereotypes people have about them, persist. Startled, Taeyong wonders for the first time if Johnny works at this place because he actually needs to, rather than because his owner allows him the independence.

Johnny’s owner. Taeyong hopes they treat Johnny with all the love in the world, the way Ten treats Taeyong.

“He’s very handsome,” Ten comments, reaching around Taeyong to steal a bite from his treat. His hand plays with the tip of the kitten’s tail absently. “What breed is he? He’s very... _stripey_.”

Taeyong chuckles fondly at that.

“He’s a tiger, Ten.”

Ten raises his eyebrows and hums in surprise, his mouth full. He’s so charming, Taeyong doesn’t wait till he swallows to kiss his cheek.

“I’ve never seen a tiger hybrid in person!” Ten says quietly, “Well, he seems like a very nice guy.”

“Of course he’s a very nice guy,” Taeyong says just a smidge too defensively, even though he knows Ten didn’t mean it like _that_. It’s awful, how much shit people give predator hybrids for their supposed aggression or imagined dulled emotions...it’s all trash, and it makes Taeyong sad to think about Johnny experiencing that.

“Sorry, baby, I didn’t mean it that way. I was just saying,” Ten shrugs, but Taeyong knows his apology is genuine. Ten is always careful to listen and learn about what it’s like being a hybrid, the different dynamics different species encounter.

Taeyong makes an effort to stay focused on his boyfriend for the rest of their dinner. Their food is delightful, warms them just right in this chilly weather, and being in each other’s company is as wonderful as ever. They’re anything but shy about their displays of affection. They hold hands as they eat, play with each other’s hair, kiss, even feed each other, and there’s few things Taeyong loves more about their relationship than their knack to indulge each other like this.

Johnny stops by their table occasionally to check on them, always with a dimpled smile. Despite the place being mostly empty, he seems busy. Perhaps there’s cleaning to do behind the scenes. Ten makes friendly small talk with him as he asks for the check. He slips a few notes into the leather case with his credit card and Taeyong notes it’s a generous tip. Taeyong gives him a loving nuzzle.

“Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoyed yourselves tonight!” Johnny says as he tears off the receipt and hands it to Ten. “And again, I’m sorry if I was a little much for you--”

“Taeyong.”

“Taeyong,” Johnny finishes with a smile.

“It’s okay. You weren’t too much at all,” Taeyong says quietly, smiling back. It’s not _really_ a lie.

“Yongie gets shy sometimes around really attractive people,” Ten quips, making Taeyong’s head snap to look at him in near-horror. “Everything was great, we’ll definitely be back!”

 

From there, the road to asking Ten to adopt Johnny into their family is beautifully short.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/johnxuxi).


	2. two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, note that the first bit of this chapter features some casual Johnjae. Please note the updated rating of this story.
> 
>  
> 
> So excited to share this next installment with everyone! Many thanks to Paula for all the ideas and for reading over this chapter.

Sometimes, occasionally, Johnny finds it hard to read Jaehyun. It’s not often, and it’s not usually very concerning, but it is something that leaves Johnny with an uneasy feeling in his throat when it happens. Most of the time, the two are open books with each other and spend enough time together to know each other’s habits and telltale signs pretty well. They can usually tell if it’s best to let the other spill the beans on his own, or if a beer - or a hug - might do the trick better. They’re comfortable with each other in ways uncommon to most hybrid-human friendships that aren’t sealed by ownership.

But sometimes Jaehyun retreats just a little too far behind his easy smile and shrug, behind the cool, handsome facade he puts on at times like those. It’s the one side to Jaehyun Johnny hasn’t been able crack. Thankfully, this nonchalantly distant Jaehyun seems to only appear for things of smaller significance.

Like the way Jaehyun will sometimes get Johnny off multiple times with his hands, his mouth, his thighs, and refuse to accept Johnny’s offers to return the favor. Is he embarrassed by the way he usually creams himself during the act without the need for Johnny’s touch? Is it that he harbors some deeper feelings he’s afraid to confess? But no, surely those would have manifested in other ways too, and Johnny’s never noticed anything, and he’s certain it has nothing to do with him being a hybrid either, Jaehyun just isn’t like that. Johnny knows he’s not bad at getting Jaehyun off - in fact, he’s made him moan so loud that Johnny’s own sensitive ears were ringing for a few hours after - still, he can’t help but wonder if it’s something that he does that makes Jaehyun like that. 

Their casual sex is not a topic the two necessarily stay away from, but there’s also significantly less communication around it than Johnny is used to with other people or hybrids he’s slept with. 

“Fuck, Jae,” Johnny groans, squeezing his eyes shut at the heat building in his groin. Jaehyun is just too good at this.

They’re on the ratty old couch in Johnny’s matchbox of an apartment that Jaehyun’s parents have been letting him stay at for the last two years. As he edges closer to his orgasm, Johnny’s hips are lifting off the seat, back pressing into the cushions so hard that it’s trapping his tail uncomfortably, but he doesn’t have the presence of mind to care, not this close to erupting in Jaehyun’s mouth. 

Jaehyun dropped by earlier once Johnny’s shift was finished, so the two could quickly grab a late lunch and head to the library to study together. Nowadays, Jaehyun is one of Johnny’s only friends, but Johnny hopes that will change as he settles back into being a (part-time) college student. Between devouring generous servings of Jaehyun’s mom’s japchae and Johnny packing up his books, it came out that Johnny is feeling the onset of his heat early and he might have to miss class tomorrow to deal with that. Smells were stronger, sounds were just a little too loud, hot tendrils of tension were inching their way up his abdomen, and he found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on his work.

“You think it’s gonna hit tonight?” Jaehyun asked, looking up from his phone from where he sat on the armrest of the couch. Over the years that they’ve been friends, Johnny’s been open about what it’s like to be a hybrid, from the biological differences to the complex place they occupy in society, and Jaehyun’s listened and learned with touching empathy. At this point he all but tracks Johnny’s heat cycles with him (he was the one that suggested a new heat tracking app to the tiger, too), knowing how long it takes the tiger hybrid to get through a heat, or how he deals with it in different situations.

Johnny shrugged, “I don’t really know. It can be really unpredictable when it’s early like this.”

Jaehyun was quiet for a moment while Johnny rummaged through the small cabinet of his desk.

“If you think it might help slow it or relieve it a bit so you can study longer tonight, I can get you off. I don’t mind.”

Johnny threw him a look over his shoulder, “Oh uhh...I mean, you don’t have to, we’re not-- I mean, it’s up to you, I know you said you have a lot of work. I did shower this morning before work, so.”

“It’s alright, we can make it quick. Is it okay if I just blow you?”

Johnny’s tail betrayed his reaction then by comically freezing in the air for a second, before resuming its gentle swish. It swooped down, still curving up at the tip, to counterbalance Johnny’s body when he stood and turned.

Ten minutes later find Jaehyun kneeling on the rug between Johnny’s spread thighs. He’s still wearing his black denim jacket and he’s sweating, Johnny can smell it on him, mixed with thick, screaming arousal. The younger’s own hand is between his legs where he barely bothered to hook his boxers under his balls. The zipper of his jeans grazes Jaehyun’s cock occasionally, but he’s too focused on how good Johnny’s hand tugging on his hair feels to notice.

“Ah, fuck, right there, Jae, don’t stop--” Johnny’s breathy moans and praise make Jaehyun’s dick throb in his hand. His hand picks up speed and he realizes he’s moaning around Johnny’s shaft.

Johnny tastes just slightly sweeter than normal and Jaehyun knows it’s the heat and fucking  _ loves _ it, hopes that Johnny will take up his offer - maybe even  _ ask _ Jaehyun - for help through the peak of his heat. 

“Ah,  _ Jae _ !  _ Jaejaejaejaejae-- _ ”

Jaehyun swallows it all down and barely has time to pull off Johnny’s shaft so he doesn’t choke, before he’s shooting his own release onto the floor and muffling his groans in Johnny’s thigh. In the moments that follow, lost in his post-orgasmic headspace, he wishes he could have caught some of his own release and smeared it all over his cock and asked Johnny to clean it off. Instead, he catches his breath and plants small comforting kisses on Johnny’s thighs as the tiger hybrid relaxes into the couch and comes down from his high.

They clean up and get ready to leave in almost complete silence. It’s not awkward, but Johnny wishes they’d...talk about it beyond Johnny’s  _ thank you _ ? He’s not sure what there is to talk about, but he’s a little bummed out he didn’t get to return the favor. Maybe he’ll text Jaehyun tomorrow and try to be the more active party despite his heat frenzy, he thinks. Jaehyun usually opens up a bit more after they’ve had sex that was more than a quickie. Besides, Johnny has no other reason to feel guilty about this: Jaehyun has assured him many times in the last few weeks that the two of them fooling around like they have for years is okay with Doyoung, who now bears the title of Jaehyun’s official boyfriend. 

So Johnny shrugs on his coat, stuffs his torn up wallet in the back of his jeans and follows Jaehyun down the stairs, locking the door behind himself.

❃

Taeyong rubs his hands together as his steaming dinner arrives and Ten chuckles at his cuteness. The kitten smiles back at him and readjusts his own jacket on Ten’s shoulders. His owner had complained about being cold, and Taeyong, despite having full confidence his own body heat will help, immediately offered the garment, then wrapped his tail around Ten’s waist. The temperatures have really dropped in just a week and Taeyong is _not_ risking Ten getting sick again right before their anniversary. 

He’s a little bummed out the handsome waiter who served them last week doesn’t seem to be around. Maybe even more than a little. He feels a bit guilty and embarrassed about just how often he thought about the attractive stranger over the past week. 

Still, Taeyong’s happy Ten agreed to come back to the little restaurant for dinner.

The two are deep in conversation about the anime they just started marathoning together when Taeyong glances up and immediately feels his ears heating. Coming down the stairs in the far corner of the restaurant is none other than Johnny. He has a backpack slung over one shoulder and a jacket under his arm. Taeyong tries to stay focused on the conversation while still throwing the tiger hybrid glances.

How sexy he is today. He’s wearing tight jeans that show off his thick thighs and Taeyong even worries about Johnny’s circulation; his torso is clad in a white T-shirt, tucked into his belt along with the open button-down he’s slung over it. Johnny exchanges a few words with another man Taeyong hadn’t noticed before the other man walks out of the restaurant, then he looks straight at Taeyong and Ten’s table and Taeyong immediately looks down at his food.

A few painful seconds later, and Johnny is at their table. Ten looks up.

“Oh hey! I remember you!” Ten smiles, grabbing a napkin to dab at his mouth.

Johnny smiles warmly. His hair is free of product today, falling soft over his forehead. Taeyong thinks about what it’d be like to run his fingers through it, graze Johnny’s ears. He notices the glint of a small metal ring on one of Johnny’s orange ears and his heart softens even more.

“Yeah, I see you guys -- I mean, you two, decided to stop by again! So I thought I’d say ‘hello’,” Johnny responds, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulders. Dimples grace his cheeks. “Thanks so much for coming to visit us again, I’m glad you liked us enough to do so.”

_ Liked YOU more than enough to want to come back every day _ , Taeyong thinks and immediately berates himself. He discerns Johnny’s scent among others and the tingles in his stomach intensify. He can smell someone else on him though, perhaps the man he was speaking to, since it seemed the two came down the stairs together. Perhaps that man is Johnny’s owner, Taeyong thinks, but then questions that thought since the interaction between the two seemed markedly casual and without an ounce of the usual signs of ownership.

“Absolutely, we don’t live very close, but we really liked the food last time, so we thought we’d come by. And we appreciated your nice gesture too, bringing that dessert!” Ten says, fingers rubbing circles on Taeyong’s arm. He’s genuine and Taeyong notices he’s reflecting Johnny’s warm smile. 

“Oh, well I’m glad to see you! And hey, I never got your name last time, my bad...”

“It’s Ten.”

“Ten. Nice to meet you, Ten, and Taeyong. Hope to see you become regulars around here,” he says as he and Ten bow lightly at each other. Taeyong can’t believe Johnny remembers his name, but then again, maybe his customer service skills are just that great. “I have to run, but maybe I’ll see you again soon!”

Taeyong and Ten say polite goodbyes and Johnny strides out the door. 

“What a nice guy,” Ten comments. 

Only in the lingering wafts of Johnny’s scent does Taeyong recognize the unmistakable traces of heat pheromones, so subtle that most would miss them. Taeyong feels his whole face heat up even more and hopes to God, again, that Ten wouldn’t notice. 

Later, once they’re all done and Ten has just signed the check, the human clears his throat and smiles at Taeyong.

“Did you enjoy your food, baby? I’m glad we found this place, everything is so tasty.”

Taeyong nods around a spoonful of his milky rice dessert treat, returning Ten’s smile, then carefully thinking about his words. He feels Ten’s fingers gently kneading at his thigh.

“Everything tastes delicious. And I really, really like the vibe too. It’s very homey. I like coming here with you.”

Ten watches him with so much affection that Taeyong can’t help but look at his lap and laugh shyly. He tries to shake Ten’s fingers off his own hand in embarrassment, but Ten isn’t letting go.

“Shy little kitten,” Ten teases, moving a few strands of hair away from Taeyong’s forehead. “If we can’t come here very often, I’m sure it’ll be okay if you come down for lunch on your own or something like that. If I’m not mistaken, it’s only one bus, I bet you’d be able to find your way. And Johnny would be here, so you won’t be alone.”

Taeyong ducks his head, digging into his food to hide the way his heart sped up at the suggestion, while Ten continues to run his fingers through his hair soothingly. 

He is elated at the prospect of coming to see Johnny, alone, of course he is. Not that he is going to dwell one bit on the fact that visiting the restaurant is immediately branded as “coming to see Johnny” in his head now,  _ when did that get to be _ ? 

He thinks about it too much over the next few days, keeps imagining how it might go if he went alone. Maybe Johnny would give him some extra attention because he’s alone. Maybe Johnny would bring him more treats. He could get to know the tiger hybrid. Maybe they’d even flirt, maybe their fingers would touch…

But no, he startles. Ten is his boyfriend. It would be  _ weird _ because, yeah, maybe for other hybrids, in their arrangements with their owners, it would be okay, but it’s not how things are with him and Ten unless it’s been previously arranged-- but then, there’s nothing to  _ be _ arranged! 

Taeyong sits on the couch one day when Ten is late coming home from work, hugging his knees to his chest and nuzzling his nose into his tail which is wrapped around him. He stares emptily at the TV and worries his bottom lip between his teeth. 

And what if Ten has seen right through him? But no, Ten would say something if he had. He wouldn’t let Taeyong stew in it, not that he’d be able to hide whatever he feels about it from his kitten anyway. This is becoming too much of a guessing game and for what? A crush on a random handsome hybrid.

And yet Taeyong can’t shake the thoughts of Johnny that saunter into his brain practically every hour. Johnny’s gentle smile. Johnny’s deft fingers. Johnny’s big toned body. They’re very  _ physical _ thoughts, Taeyong realizes, he realizes he barely _ knows _ anything about Johnny besides the fact that he’s got some great customer service skills and that he has a handsome friend who he smells of but who doesn’t seem like his owner.

Somehow, despite the battle raging inside of him, Taeyong manages to drop a hint he’d like to visit the restaurant Johnny works at again, not even two full weeks after they’ve last been. Johnny serves them this time, as polite and courteous as ever, and Taeyong tries his best to slam the door to the place in his mind screaming at him that Johnny seemed happy to see them, that his eyes twinkled in the dimmed lights, that he paid them extra attention.

When they come home, Taeyong locks himself in the bathroom. He tells Ten he needs to wash up a bit - they’re both a bit tipsy, and Ten has made it very clear (through lingering touches, sensual whispers, fingers that stayed on Taeyong’s bare skin under his sweater all night) that he wants to have sex. And Taeyong wants it too, but he can’t. This all feels wrong, it feels like everything has taken some completely unexpected direction for no reason. He decides to just talk to Ten. What is there to be afraid of? Ten is his owner, his boyfriend, who has always been nothing but understanding.

When the hybrid emerges from the bathroom, ears low and tail curled out of sight, Ten is sprawled on the couch with his eyes closed and a hand on the bulge in his tight jeans. His shirt hangs open almost to his belly button. He looks breathtaking and the guilt threatens to choke Taeyong. 

Taeyong takes a seat at the edge of the couch by Ten, folding a knee. Ten smirks at him and takes his hand, but the expression morphs into confusion when he senses Taeyong’s anxiety.

“What’s wrong, Yongie?” his voice is so loving. Taeyong wants to cry.

“Tennie, I have something to tell you.”

Turns out, Ten  _ has _ noticed. Taeyong doesn’t know whether to be embarrassed or scared, until Ten assures him he has nothing to worry about. 

“Of course I know about it, baby, you’re really not subtle when you fawn over him,” Ten pulls on some of the hairs on Taeyong’s tail teasingly and it twitches in his fingers, where he’s been stroking it soothingly. Taeyong is beet red. “But I thought maybe...I don’t know, maybe you need more hybrid friends? Maybe it would be good for you to have a friend who is a big cat hybrid? I don’t really know how these things work. I thought maybe there’s some pheromone connection between you.”

Taeyong rests his cheek on the back of the couch and joins Ten’s fingers on his own tail, listening.

“Or, I don’t know, maybe...maybe you wanted another boyfriend, like a hybrid boyfriend. I don’t know, I can’t keep you from exploring that, I’m your owner after all, you’re free to--” Taeyong cuts him of with a kiss, noticing the tension gripping his shoulders. They move closer to each other and the intimacy of the moment helps ease the difficulty of the conversation. Taeyong is surprised at how calm they’re being about it, even as Ten admits it makes him jealous, but realizes that they owe it all to how well they know each other, how much they love each other, how committed they are to their bond. 

Bringing his fingers to the soft leather of the collar around his neck, Taeyong reminds Ten that they’re not just owner and pet, that there’s reasons why they agreed to be boyfriends too, that he loves Ten and is loyal to him in every way and that they have  _ rules _ to guide the aspects where their relationship is more open to others. 

“I will forget this whole thing in an instant if it’s what will make you comfortable. It’s just a crush,” Taeyong says, doe eyes earnest on Ten.

Ten runs a hand through his hair and glances away, then back at Taeyong. He sighs.

“I don’t know, baby, I do feel jealous, but...maybe not enough to not want us to-- to see where this might lead? I’m possessive, you know that, I think that’s what this is. But it’s nothing against Johnny. I would be a dirty liar if I said I don’t find him super hot.”

Taeyong giggles at that and Ten grins. He kisses Taeyong’s delicate fingers.

Us.

“He’s very charming,” Ten adds.

“You’re very charming.”

“I am, and you’re very handsome.”

Taeyong ducks his head, blushing like he always does when Ten calls him handsome. It’s not a compliment pretty cat hybrids like him get often.

He doesn’t know what to say, his mind reeling just a bit, floating just a bit with all the love and gratitude he feels for Ten. 

“Why don’t we get to know him, hm?” Ten suggests. “We can go there more often and make an effort to actually be friends with him. He seems quite independent, maybe we invite him out some time, his owner would probably allow it. You know I can flirt my way into any man’s heart.”

“You didn’t have to flirt your way into mine,” Taeyong points out, and it’s true. All it took was a genuine conversation, and a few touches, and Taeyong knew, back then at the adoption center, that there was no way this human wouldn’t play a tremendous part in his life.

“If nothing else, maybe his owner will let him sleep with us,” Ten shrugs and Taeyong groans, hiding his face in his tail. 

Maybe that’s all Taeyong needs so the little butterflies in his stomach stop fluttering every time his gaze rests on Johnny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!! Please, please leave a comment and let me know what you thought! Any lingering questions about the characters? Anything that surprised you? Did you have a favorite bit?  
> You can also find me on twitter at http://twitter.com/johnxuxi.


	3. three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the longer wait everyone! Please be warned that this chapter discusses grief and some trauma, as well as a past minor character's death.
> 
> Many thanks to Paula for always being patient with my ideas, for giving great suggestions and great feedback.

A deep sigh, then a shaky inhale. Another sigh, punctuated by hiccups.

“You’re okay, my love,” Ten whispers, pressing his lips to Taeyong’s cheekbone and tasting salt. “Keep breathing, deep breaths. You did great for me. You were fantastic. Keep breathing. Good boy.”

Ten’s hand strokes circles into Taeyong’s sweaty chest, then moves to his abdomen where Taeyong’s hands are clutching his own tail. Ten runs his fingers up and down through the fur all along the length of it, where it is curled from between Taeyong’s legs.

“That feels good, doesn’t it?” he smiles back in response to Taeyong’s tentative smile and purr.

It’s common for Taeyong to need some help calming down after a rough session, and this one really pushed his limits. Ten used both of his holes, fucking him through four orgasms while the kitten was collared, tied up, blindfolded _and_ taking the stream of smacks to his ass like “a good slutty fucktoy”. It left him a whimpering mess with how great it felt, how open it left him, undoing his worries and inhibitions bit by bit, thrust by thrust.

Nothing feels better than being at Ten’s mercy, enveloped by his ownership.

Two or three orgasms are nothing for a cat hybrid, easy and each one more delightful than the previous, but four are, for some reason, an almost unreachable peak for Taeyong. Getting there means shaking and begging and drooling and a small, involuntary trickle of tears down his cheeks. Ten kept checking his comfort level, his state of mind through it all, and it was the subtle reassurance of that that helped Taeyong let go so completely.

“I love you,” he croaks out, voice a little gone from the assault of Ten’s cock to his throat. No matter how experienced he is at taking him all, no matter whatever is in his genes that is supposed to make this easier, Taeyong is a sensitive kitten.

“I love you, too, doll,” Ten is happy to see him relaxing and losing a bit of the flush in his cheeks. His ears are relaxing from their previous tense state. “I love you more than you know.”

He continues to stroke his tail, enjoying his boyfriend’s purr and the look of peace on his face. Taeyong’s tail is one of the most sensitive regions on his body - typically not in a sexual way, though massaging the base of it has helped push him over the edge sometimes. Rubbing it, brushing it, cuddling it comforts the cat hybrid, is almost magical at slowing his heartbeat.

Back at the adoption center, once he was separated from his parents for most of his days and nights, Taeyong used to cuddle his tail close to his chest, burying his face in it for comfort whenever he felt lonely. He would still see them plenty, but he was moved on to the adolescent hybrid wing of the facility to encourage his independence and socializing with other hybrids. Other times, he would brush it carefully for hours, fantasizing about how his diligent grooming would one day earn him the attention of someone beautiful. The stranger would come and pick _him, Taeyong_ ,  and adopt him and how oh, how _devoted_ Taeyong would be to them, how loving, how caring; he would take care of everything his owner needed him to, he’d be the best pet and his owner would praise him and gush about him to everyone. He only hoped his owner would love him, too, that they could be a happy family.

Some of the other hybrids sometimes remarked that it was odd that Taeyong was okay with having an owner of any gender, rather than preferring only one gender like most hybrids did. Perhaps they were jealous; perhaps they somehow saw him as more “marketable”.

 

Taeyong still grooms his tail a lot, and still seeks comfort in embracing it whenever he’s upset - something Ten calls his “tell-tail” sign. Ten even helps him dye it with special hybrid-safe dyes sometimes, to match the color of his hair.

The soft fur on Taeyong’s tail is brown now, as is his hair and the velvety hairs on his ears. Ten has grown so used to carding his fingers through it like this, that at this point it soothes him too. He notices Taeyong’s eyelids drooping.

“Baby, why don’t we take a shower before you go to sleep? It’ll be so quick, I promise. Come on,” Ten encourages, twining their fingers and starting to sit up. He’s beyond exhausted too, from a long day at the dance studio and, of course, from the intense past two hours. He teases, “C’mon, pet. You weren’t nearly as quiet ten minutes ago. _Please, Ten, fuck me harder, ah, right there--”_

Taeyong groans at Ten’s high pitched voice, sitting up. His hair is sticking in all directions and it makes Ten’s heart fond.

“By the way,” Taeyong mumbles, “I meant what I said.”

“About what? You said so many things, kitten, I even wondered if I should gag you.”

Taeyong hides his face in his shoulder for a moment, embarrassed. His fingers are still twined with Ten’s.

“About Johnny. I do want him…”

“Aaah, about Johnny…” Ten grins. “Shouldn’t I be offended that you were thinking about someone else while I was giving you the time of your life on my dick?”

“No, Ten, I--”

Ten laughs, getting up from the bed, “It’s okay, baby, I want him to wreck you too. You’re all mine, but I want him to wreck you, too.”

❃

It’s been just over a month now, and Ten and Taeyong have made significant progress in getting to know the handsome server from the little restaurant by the movie theater.

The week after their decision to explore their options with Johnny, the two return to the restaurant and when another server approaches them, politely and apologetically request that Johnny serves them instead. They make some small talk with him - well, Ten does - as he takes their order, then more as he brings their dishes. It’s polite, interested but casual questions like “Have you worked here a long time?”, “Oh, where do you go to school?” and “Has it been busy today?” that have Johnny chatting with them warmly and lead to Ten inviting him to join them at their table for a drink once his shift is over. The tiger hybrid is surprised, a bit bashful, as he accepts the offer, but it’s friendly enough that he has no problem settling into comfortable conversation over the beer Ten buys him.

They learn that Johnny goes to school at one of the bigger Universities nearby to study Sociology with a focus in Hybrid Studies and a minor in Photography. While his Hybrid Studies specialty becomes the topic of a fifteen minute tangent in their conversation, and one that Taeyong is particularly involved in, it is his interest in photography that is one of the first things the three find in common. Taeyong shares, proudly, enthusiastically, that Ten has been interested in photography too lately. When Ten clarifies he’s only a complete amateur, Johnny leads them into a mini-lesson, complete with showing them some of his own photos on his phone. _I call it ‘Johntography’_ , he smiles, winking, and they all laugh and Taeyong’s heart leaps out of his body and flutters away - simply, it can barely handle any more of Johnny’s charms and dimpled grin.

“We’ll see you around. Next week,” Taeyong says as they part in front of the restaurant, shyness returning to his voice. Johnny is gorgeous under the dim streetlights.

“Thanks for the beer, guys, it was really nice to catch a break after work like that. I’m glad to see you’re becoming regulars!”

Ten is satisfied to hear no lingering hesitation or confusion in Johnny’s voice. As much as Taeyong’s had trouble keeping his staring at bay, the two of them had agreed to try to befriend Johnny and get to know him at least a bit before making any “moves” on the tiger, so he had hoped inviting him to their table wasn’t too forward or odd.

  


Before they see Johnny next, Ten and Taeyong mention him a couple of times to each other, both a little more excited by their night with him than they’d admit out loud. They comment on the fact that he’s in college _and_ has a job and wonder about how progressive his owner must be to allow him all that. They’ve discussed that degree of independence with regards to Taeyong before: would he like to try college, would he want to sign up for any fun classes, would he want to try working… The thought had seemed impossibly daunting to Taeyong at first. But little by little, with lots of encouragement from Ten and their friends, he ventured out there and signed up for a dance class at the studio Ten owns, in addition to taking some online lessons in design. He’s made some friends of his own now and enjoys his independent time, though he is very much a homebody and loves nothing more than to take care of their apartment and spend time at home with Ten.

They see Johnny two, three times after that, each time as he waits on them, before Ten surprises Taeyong and invites the tiger hybrid over to their apartment.

“You’ve served us delicious dinner so many times, let us treat you for once,” he says, as though they’re not paying customers. His smile is disarming. His confidence takes Taeyong’s breath away, and it might have just done the same to Johnny. “Yongie is great in the kitchen and we’d love to get to know you better.”

And so a freezing Wednesday night finds Johnny at Ten and Taeyong’s doorstep, bundled in a worn ski jacket that looks too big even on him. He doesn’t have a scarf, Taeyong notes, and the hat on his head is an ordinary human wool one. It must be crushing his ears. Taeyong’s heart squeezes.

“Take your pick. These are all our slippers for guests,” Taeyong gestures, smiling, at a row of slippers, each pair fluffier than the previous. His own feet are snug in bunny slippers, and Ten is wearing a pair of black kitten ones. Johnny goes with the pink flamingo ones, laughing as he slips them on.

After a lovely dinner and compliments for Taeyong’s cooking that have him glowing in pride, the three settle in the living room with steaming coffee and tea. Ten quickly embarks on his journey to learn more about Johnny. He sits on the end of the couch, as close as possible to the tiger hybrid, who settled into their armchair. Their knees touch. Taeyong snuggles up to Ten’s side and soaks up the information.

It’s then that Taeyong and Ten learn that it’s not that Johnny’s owner is _that_ progressive.

It’s that Johnny doesn’t have an owner at all.

 

❃❃❃

 

Most of Johnny’s life has been quite conventional, the typical hybrid journey: from the hybrid birth facility, through life at the family quarters with his parents, to becoming more independent and being groomed for adoption.

Just over five years ago, an elderly gentleman walked into “Gimpo Feline Hybrid Community” and spent multiple hours chatting with many of the hybrids that were up for adoption. In the end, he came back for Johnny, several days later. Thus began what Johnny perceived, back then, as the most important chapter of his life: being Mr. Suh Yoon Min’s companion.

Mr. Suh was well into his sixties. He had an inviting face and sparse white hair, a comforting smile and hands that were calloused from years of gardening, one of the man’s hobbies outside of his office job. Mr. Suh, who soon insisted on becoming “Grandpa”, had lost his wife in an accident six years prior. Somehow, he’d pulled himself out of his loneliness and decided to adopt a hybrid to serve as his companion. Someone to come to at home, someone to take care of who would take care of him in return. Grandpa was pretty independent overall, and in good health, so Johnny didn’t have that much caretaking to do, but he was happy to take on chores around the house and make Grandpa’s life more interesting.

They quickly became close. At first, Johnny had been wary, hoping that Mr. Suh hadn’t lied about the reason to adopt him and wouldn’t suddenly involve him into weird things. It quickly became apparent, however, that Grandpa was simply a lonely old man who had enough money to afford taking care of a hybrid. Johnny was free to have any other kinds of relationships with other people or hybrids, Grandpa reminded him of it many times. Still, it wasn’t until Grandpa encouraged Johnny to sign up for college, that Johnny became comfortable enough to pursue his own social life. At the adoption center, he’d always been taught that hybrids are mostly confined to the social life their owners choose for them, so this kind of self-direction was new.

Being a hybrid in university earned him plenty of peculiar looks. Surprised gasps became ordinary for him to hear, especially when people realized he was a tiger hybrid. He kept his chin high and profile low, determined to focus on his studies, make some friends where possible, and shatter whatever stereotypes people held about him. He discovered that socializing with those who didn’t treat him like a museum artefact came easy to him, and enjoyed the feeling of making human and hybrid friends alike, where he could. He even attended a party or two and had his first kiss.

In an introductory level psychology class, he met Jaehyun who was a bit airheaded, a bit lost, and exceedingly sexy. They became casual friends. They hooked up twice. Johnny had been worried that all these firsts on the romantic and sexual fronts would be a huge deal for him, but he found himself comfortable, open to possibilities, not wanting more than he saw was there. He felt himself growing intellectually in ways he’d never experienced before and that was somehow much more rewarding and consuming than his social life. At home, Grandpa listened with so much interest when the hybrid told him about his studies or the people he met. He encouraged Johnny to explore his interest in hybrid studies and even attended some lectures outside of class with him. For the first time in his life, Johnny felt like he was becoming a fully rounded creature and it was exhilarating.

Then, it all fell apart.

A month into Johnny’s first summer vacation, just as he was starting to look for internships, Grandpa crumpled to the floor one day and never got up. A stroke started a massive hemorrhage in his brain. After a delirious night in the hospital, where he woke up once enough to mumble his late wife’s name, he was gone, along with Johnny’s entire future.

Grandpa had been young still, young enough not to have worried too much about making provisions for Johnny after his passing. Johnny received only two visits from hybrid social workers in the week that he was at their house and both left him confused and with no clear path forward. Distant nephews to Grandpa expressed some interest in the house when Johnny found their phone numbers and told them about Grandpa’s fate, and soon showed up to order Johnny out in a series of events he doesn’t like to remember.

Wrapped in a web of shock, confusion and panic, Johnny ended up on the street with a rucksack of his clothes he’d managed to pack up and some food he was able to snag from the fridge. Not knowing how to access Grandpa’s bank account, he had just over a hundred thousand won that he found in Grandpa’s drawers, but he knew he couldn’t spend it on a place to sleep. It was better to plan ahead, focus on food and general street survival things. But what did he know about street survival? What more could he guess he would need other than what he’d glimpsed homeless people on the streets had?

The next two months were the most difficult of his life, a terror filled period he isn’t sure how he survived. He begged for scraps and slept in places he never wishes to remember. He lost so much weight that sometimes it took effort just to raise his tail. The shock, the stress of being on the street kept him from riding out the most intense parts of grief for Grandpa, but that grief also made things that much worse.

There were more hybrids on the streets than he thought he’d find and some were helpful, as were some humans. Some were kind, some were naive, some were in headspaces Johnny was scared he would reach too. He found himself hesitantly joining a small camp by some railroad tracks and it was a bit safer, a little less lonely, and sometimes helpful, but there were drugs and violence and stealing and Johnny hated it, had to thread a careful line so as not to fall out of favor with others. It threw him in a constant state of anxiety which only added to his exhaustion and depression. 

He was thankful that it was summer and was gravely worried about how he’d make it through the winter. Heats seemed to be the worst. He saw hybrids in such desperate states that it gave him nightmares. During the first and only heat he had on the streets, he was almost assaulted twice, once by a leopard hybrid who he was able to fend off only by virtue of his size and strength, and the second by a pair of humans. The following month, his heat didn’t even come because of how stressed out he was about getting through it. Even later, after this was all done, heats made him think back to those agonizing days.

Shelters were overflowing and prioritizing humans, and adoption centers wouldn’t take a dirty ungroomed cat like him. Hybrid social services were only good for giving him the run-around. Businesses wouldn’t hire him, and those that would hire him were places he knew were too dangerous for a hybrid. He began to sink deeper into hopelessness and depression.

He pulled himself out of his tent closer to the beginning of the school year to make it to his University campus, only to find out they couldn’t help him cover his fees to stay enrolled, despite his dire situation.

He signed his de-enrollment papers and shuffled out of the building filled with blissful apathy and quiet, simmering rage. On the lawn in front he ran into none other than Jaehyun, who noticed, of course he would notice, Johnny’s disheveled, dirty appearance. Johnny was so humiliated he almost pretended he didn’t see Jaehyun. Jaehyun coaxed it out of him and the tiger hybrid admitted to his situation. The confession floored Jaehyun and Johnny was ready to walk away, when Jaehyun stopped him and mentioned his parents had some space above their restaurant that they use as a storage area and office, one that Jaehyun sometimes studied at. He told Johnny he needed to check with his parents, but perhaps Johnny could stay there for a bit. Johnny saw him hesitate, leaning in ever so slightly as though getting ready to hug him, then thinking better of it.

Johnny was touched, despite his embarrassment, but desperately didn’t want to have his hopes crushed. He didn’t have a phone, so he told Jaehyun about his usual panhandling spot by a post office which is where the other found him a few days later.

At first, it was supposed to be a temporary arrangement. Johnny would stay at the little apartment above the restaurant and help in the kitchen when needed until he gets back on his feet and figures out his future. Soon, it turned into an even bigger blessing, when a position opened up at the restaurant and Johnny stepped in as a server. He was paid fairly and the Jungs only asked a small sum out of his paycheck as monthly rent. They were lovely people and Johnny was overjoyed to stay on with them and work as hard as he could to save up for maybe returning to college, maybe turning himself in to another adoption center.

Despite being on the path to stability - now that he had a roof over his head, a job, a friend - the months that followed were still difficult. Grief still haunted Johnny. He couldn’t stop asking the universe why something so terrible as losing your owner would happen to him. Recovering from his months on the street was painful in its own way. With everything he’d seen, experienced, felt, it was hard to think of the world as a place where good things could happen.

Hooking up with Jaehyun was, at first, a desperately needed way to feel valued, to feel like he was fulfilling his purpose as a hybrid, to experience something intense. But Johnny quickly became aware of how unhealthy seeing sex with Jaehyun through that lens was. As they sat on the floor of Johnny’s room one night, Johnny far more drunk than Jaehyun due to his hybrid-typical low tolerance, the tiger let the guilt he felt spill out. As the words tumbled out of his mouth, so did his wrenching grief and hopelessness.

“I have no idea what’s happening to me, Jae,” he said and the look in his eyes tore Jaehyun’s heart apart then and there. “This doesn’t happen to hybrids! I have no idea what I’m supposed to do.”

Jaehyun could do little more than embrace his shoulders and let him cry his pain out.

Little by little, Johnny got himself back together, mostly by the power of his own resilience and Jaehyun’s support. They’d halted their hook ups after Johnny’s breakdown, but several months later somehow naturally stumbled into a pattern of casual sex. It wasn’t loaded with much meaning for either of them, but it undoubtedly brought them closer and contributed to the flourish of their friendship. Despite how tough it was for Johnny to watch Jaehyun go through semester after semester at University while he craved to have that life back, the tiger supported his friend through his studies and occupied himself with reading his textbooks in what little spare time he had.

Once he felt more like himself, and with Jaehyun’s firm encouragement, Johnny realized that he didn’t want to go back to the typical hybrid life. That he could do much better, that college could really open a new door for him, that his worth wasn’t only measured by what kind of a relationship he would have with a human owner.

That he could take his time forging his own path.

 

❃❃❃

 

He tells Taeyong and Ten only the gist of this, of course. He’s far from trusting them completely and the last thing he wants is pity. Besides, some of the details not even Jaehyun knows about. Often, he thinks the humiliation he suffered on the streets may never leave him.

However little he hears about Johnny’s journey still sends Taeyong into shock which he doesn’t get over for days.

When he’s done recapping his mildly challenging last few years, Johnny stirs his tea and takes a sip, swallowing with a smile that almost hides his uneasiness. Ten expresses condolences about Johnny’s owner, on behalf of himself and Taeyong, then cracks a joke to lighten the solemn atmosphere pressing down on them. He changes the topic smoothly and they spend the rest of the night looking through photos Ten and Johnny have taken, hooking up their phones to the TV. Johnny seems more than glad to have the chance to comment on Ten’s technique, give earnest advice despite Ten’s protests that his photography is purely amateur and lacks any technique at all. They joke about the fact that about half of Ten’s photos are of Taeyong and as Johnny puts his coat on to leave, Ten promises to show him pictures of Taeyong as a baby kitten at the adoption center some time.

At the door, Johnny thanks them profusely for the pleasant evening. His eyes are so warm, his smile so sincere. Ten and Taeyong each give him a hug and Taeyong wishes he could stay in the big cat’s embrace forever: it’s comforting and tender and Johnny’s so big and Taeyong feels small again, like he did the first time he saw Johnny.

 

“We didn’t ask him how he’s getting home,” Ten mumbles as the two of them load the dishwasher.

Taeyong freezes, “It’s too late for buses, isn’t it?”

“I don’t think it’s too late, but I bet they’re pretty rare. It’d be a long wait.”

“Do you think he had money for a taxi maybe?”

Ten doesn’t say anything for a moment, rinsing out a bowl.

“Honestly, I don’t know. We should offer him a ride next time. Why don’t you text him in a bit, say something about how you hope he’s getting home safely?”

“I’ll do that.”

A few minutes later, Ten dries his hands and wraps his arms around Taeyong’s waist while the kitten boxes up some leftovers. Taeyong’s tail curls around Ten’s leg naturally.

“Did you have a good time tonight, love?” Ten asks, nuzzling his neck and stroking his tummy to encourage louder purrs. 

“Yes. It was really, really nice to have him,” Taeyong pauses. He seems like he has more to say, but is considering his words. Ten gives him time and watches his pretty face with love. “I can’t believe he hasn’t had an owner for years, Ten. I don’t know if like...You can’t even imagine how big of a deal that is. I mean he’s-- I mean, I’m not trying to say that--”

Taeyong cuts himself off again and presses his lips together, thinking. His whole body has gone a bit rigid, he’s thinking so hard. The beautiful slopes of his face are pulled in worry.

“I probably can’t imagine, but I know what you mean. I know. Let’s not worry about it too much right now, I can feel you getting really in your head about it,” Ten kisses his cheek, renewing his soothing touches.

Taeyong makes an effort to relax in his embrace and push the whirlwind of thoughts out of his head. Ten is right - he’s so affected by this new knowledge, overwhelmed by trying to understand his feelings for Johnny, attraction and lust and tender affection and admiration, all so heightened by the evening they spent with him; if he allows it, he’ll lose himself in a spiral of frenetic thoughts.

He lets Ten help him through his evening routine. Once in bed, he relaxes on Ten’s chest and closes his eyes, grateful to have a life companion like Ten. He lets the touch of Ten’s fingers to his ears ease him into sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, let me know what you thought in the comments! Comments are what keep authors going, show us that people are engaged in our stories, and every comment means so much to me! I love it when people take the time to drop even a line, let alone ask questions and discuss the content more! It also helps me realize if I'm missing anything. I have everything built out in my head, but it's easy to forget that readers don't, so I don't want to miss out on important info!
> 
> I'm sorry this is such a shortie, especially for the time it took to get it out! This was actually going to be a much, much longer chapter, but after some thinking I decided to break it up the way I did, it just makes more sense. I have almost all of next chapter written, so you can expect an update soon! Thankfully some Christmas fluff coming up hehe!
> 
> You can find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/johnxuxi).


	4. four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, in all of its glory! All twenty five pages of it! My Christmas gift to everyone!
> 
> Thank you very much to Paula who once again helped me with this chapter!
> 
> And credit for some of the cute tidbits in this chapter goes to [smalltofuangel](http://archiveofourown.org/users/smalltofuangel)!

“Youngho-hyung?” Jaehyun’s voice is almost lost in the ruckus of the busy kitchen, but Johnny hears him and pokes his head from behind the fridge door. “Oh, hey. Whenever you’re ready, I’m out front.”

Johnny finishes up a few lunch orders and hangs his apron on the nail behind the door. He carries out two steaming plates, settling in a booth across from Jaehyun. Putting away his textbook, the younger folds his glasses and rubs his eyes tiredly.

“Thanks, hyung.”

“Lots of music history homework again?” Johnny cocks an eyebrow. He downs half of his water in one go, thirsty from working the busy lunch hour. His ears are itchy with sweat and he rubs at them with his thumb, running his nail along the rim.

“Yeah, that too, but I have an early final I have a lot to study for.”

Johnny hums in understanding. They dig into their food and make small talk before their conversation flows into the topic of Jaehyun’s boyfriend.

“Oh, man, I keep meaning to ask you to tell me more about your man!” Johnny tilts his head apologetically. “We’ve barely talked about him since you made it official and it’s been, what, month and a half now? 

“Yeah, two next Sunday,” Jaehyun smiles at his plate. Johnny finds it adorable and more than tease-worthy, but decides to let this one go for the sake of not embarrassing Jaehyun too much at the onset of the topic.

It’s the first time that Jaehyun has really opened up about his relationship with Doyoung, even since the two began their causal fling months ago. He tells Johnny about how he realized that it wasn’t really Doyoung that wanted the next level of commitment, but Jaehyun himself, feeling a desire to make it official, to brand the feelings he and Doyoung share as love, to earn the privilege of calling Doyoung _his_.

He talks about Doyoung with barely dampened adoration - about  the way he holds a paintbrush in his long fingers, the way his fashion style is defined either as “Camp gay dad of two who owns more turtlenecks than you” or “Surprise! I’ve got a toned body, fat wallet and can ruin your life with a look”, the way he takes Jaehyun’s breath away when he launches into a lecture about the importance of art for political resistance, the devoted way he takes care of his hybrid, Sicheng, or the way he positively looks like a bunny seventy five percent of the time.

“Dude, he does!” Johnny exclaims, laughing, tail springing from where it was resting on the cushion. “I’m so glad you said that, I thought it was just me. Not gonna lie, the first time I met him I was looking for his ears on top of his head.”

Jaehyun chuckles and looks away. There’s so much joy in his charming smile.

Turns out that Jaehyun had been ready to ask Doyoung to make it official long ago, but Doyoung requested that Jaehyun spend more time getting to know Sicheng.

“He said that he’s committed first to loving and caring for Sicheng, as his owner, so he felt that I needed to better understand what that means, what Sicheng is like, cause he feels that as his boyfriend I would share some of the responsibility for Sicheng. So it’s been interesting. I feel like I’ve really...learned so much and honestly, I feel like I can understand Doyoung better now that I’m closer with Sicheng too.”

Jaehyun drags his chopsticks through the last of his food absently.

“Sicheng’s really cute too and he’s funny, I really like spending time with him. And yeah, it’s just little things here and there that really get to me, and having known you for so long, I’ve seen a lot of the like, typical cat things, you know?” he laughs and Johnny pretends to be indignant. “Like the one thing that really sticks out, it really had me thinking “Wow! This must be a classic cat hybrid thing.”, even though you’re obviously different from the domestic cat hybrids, but anyway, the one thing that stuck out was when I was over at their apartment the other day, and Doyoung was doing laundry. And he took the clothes fresh and warm out of the dryer, you know, and piled them on the bed to fold and I went over to help and Sicheng was curled half on top of the pile, just lounging!”

Johnny laughs heartily then, nodding, and Jaehyun is grinning through his dimples.

“So yeah, that reminded me of how _you_ are never any help when I’m folding my clothes fresh out of the dryer.”

“You can’t fight the instincts, man!” Johnny shrugs, palms up. “So I know I’ve asked you this plenty of times before, but...I mean, are you sure Doyoung is fine with us fooling around? It sounds like you guys are getting pretty serious.”

Jaehyun nods around a mouthful. He swallows his food down with some water and responds, “Yeah. Yeah, I am. I appreciate you asking. He just...I don’t know, he said it doesn’t bother him, especially since he has Sicheng anyway and their relationship has been what it is for a while.”

“That’s good to know.”

“Yeah, so anyway. It feels like...It feels like I’m part of their little unit now, at least sort of.”

Johnny is smiling, eyes twinkling. He loves seeing how much affection Jaehyun seems to hold for Doyoung and Sicheng, “I’m so happy for you, man. I feel like I’ve seen you mature so much since you met Doyoung, and you just seem so much happier.”

Jaehyun smiles back, then looks away, a blush in his cheeks.

He clears his throat, “What were you up to this week? How was your dinner with that couple-- what were their names?”

Jaehyun’s question seems to come from pure curiosity, rather than any kind of suspicion about Ten and Taeyong’s motives, similar to the one nagging at Johnny. The tiger takes his time choosing his words; he’s barely had time to think too much about the whole thing himself. Hesitantly, in a few words, he tells Jaehyun a bit about how Ten and Taeyong are a couple indeed, in addition to being owner and pet, and how genuine they seem in trying to be friends. How easy and captivating it’s been spending time with them.

He doesn’t mention the fact that they’re essentially two enigmatic twinks that make Johnny blush at the same rate as they make him feel like for the first time in forever he has more than one person in his life who shares at least some of his interests. Sure, maybe they don’t give him an intellectual boner like the kind Doyoung and Jaehyun give each other, but mere companionship feels incredible too.

“That’s cool,” Jaehyun smiles, giving Johnny a chance to add more. When he doesn’t, the younger gathers his dishes. “They sounds like fun people. Hey, you should bring them to the Christmas musical!”

“Oh, good idea,” Johnny grumbles around his last bite, considering the suggestion. Then, seeing that Jaehyun is starting to get up, he hurries to say, “Are you busy this afternoon? Wanna hang out upstairs for a bit?”

He clears his throat meaningfully, in the silly way that’s become their little signal for a spontaneous quickie. Jaehyun, however, just winces inexplicably, shaking his head in what seems to be an apology.

“I can’t, I’m-- Just, I’ll explain upstairs.”

“Dude, I’m sorry, last night was crazy,” he starts once they’re upstairs, blushing like a tomato. “We, uh...I spent the night with Doyoung and Sicheng and I don’t know how else to put it, but they absolutely wore me out…”

Johnny allows himself only two seconds for a slack jaw, then hoots so loud that Jaehyun winces again.

“Lover boy, look at you! You really got more than you bargained for, didn’t you!”

Jaehyun drops on the couch, “I swear, my dick is sore…”

Johnny whoops again and laughs. He shouldn’t be as surprised, he’s been smelling Doyoung on Jaehyun even stronger than usual (his scent is familiar by now as Doyoung almost seems to be _scenting_ Jaehyun which amuses Johnny to no end), mixed with an unfamiliar cat hybrid scent.

“I’ll get you off if you want, though, just let me know what you need.”

And lately Johnny’s been much better about saying ‘no’ when Jaehyun wants to give but not receive - for Jae’s sake, but for his own too, since he always finds himself feeling guilty after. This time, he accepts, albeit reluctantly, and maybe it’s because he’s had a semi all day. And maybe a big part of the reason he wanted to get his hands and mouth on Jaehyun is because he can’t shake the memory of how fucking sexy both Ten and Taeyong looked last night, in this painfully domestic way, pressed against each other on the couch.

Half an hour later Johnny sits, spent, on the couch, jeans still open though Jaehyun tucked his dick inside his boxers, with Jaehyun rubbing the tip of his tail absently while scrolling through his phone. He’s ticked off at himself, the more he comes out of his post-orgasmic state of bliss.

“Jae,” he says, shifting uncomfortably as cum dries on his belly, “You doing anything Saturday?”

“I don’t think I have anything planned right now, why?”

“Block off your night. We’re having a date.”

 

By the time he’s trudging through the snow on Saturday afternoon, a bag of beer bottles in hand, wrapped in his massive jacket and fighting the urge to wiggle his ears under his hat, Johnny looks forward to his “date” with Jaehyun for many more reasons than wanting to get his dick wet. For one, he’s been thinking. And he wants to tell Jaehyun more about Ten and Taeyong and how confused yet excited he is over this new friendship.

But it also dawned on him that he and Jaehyun haven’t really hung out, had a friend-date over food and a movie, in several weeks. Jaehyun is his best - previously, only - friend, and spending time with him is always the easiest thing in the world. Jaehyun’s parents are travelling for the weekend and they can have the whole house to themselves, so this will be a great opportunity to unwind and yell over Mario Kart amidst cramming for finals.

By the time he falls asleep with his face in one of Jaehyun’s pillows, Johnny has gotten Jaehyun off twice.

As they lay boneless in bed, Johnny’s cum drying on Jaehyun’s ass, the tiger hybrid feels that the air between them is so intimate and light, that it’s the perfect time to bring up what’s been bothering him for ages. He curls his tail through the air, then brings it closer to Jaehyun to poke his back with the tip.

“So Jae,” he begins, shifting a bit to look at his friend. “You know I really appreciate how good you are at making me blow my load. Helping me bust a nut.”

Jaehyun snorts.

“Yeah, helping me...jet my juice. Cream...cream my pie?”

“Your post-sex banter is spot on, spot on.”

Johnny laughs and continues, “Yeah, so you’re really good at that and you know I love it. But sometimes...sometimes it makes me feel bad when you won’t let me help _you_ jet your juice. Like I feel bad, man, I wanna make you feel good too, it’s only right.”

Jaehyun snorts again. He frowns at Johnny, rubbing his cheek on the pillowcase.

“That’s only when like, I already came, or if we don’t have time.”

Johnny shrugs, “Yeah, but like, you get all quiet about it and you won’t let me get you off even though I want to...Is it something I do that makes you not want that?”

A blush has taken over Jaehyun’s face and he’s wincing a bit.

“No, dude, not at all. You’re great at making me...jet my juice, too,” the corner of his mouth twitches and Johnny laughs. Jaehyun takes a moment to think, looking like he’s about to say something that’s difficult for him to admit. “Honestly, I’m kinda...kinda embarrassed? About how much it turns me on to make _you_ cream your pie. You’re just so hot, I’m honestly kind of overwhelmed sometimes.”

Johnny gapes at that, caught between a gasp and a laugh.

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything!” Johnny whines, still in shock, and his tail comes up to tickle Jaehyun’s back.

Jaehyun bats it away, “Stop it, I shouldn’t have said anything!”

“Jae...you’re crazy, I can’t believe this. You know I _love_ making you cum too and I think you’re like one of the three most attractive men I’ve ever seen, right?”

“Who are the other two?” Jaehyun’s brows knit together.

“Jaehyunnie, that’s ridiculous, you can’t just deprive me of the pleasure of getting you off just cause you get really turned on getting _me_ off!”

“Yeah, well…” Jaehyun trails off, but a smile plays on his lips.

Johnny bites his lip, narrowing his eyes in a sexy challenge.

“Don’t give me that, my dick’s gonna fall off if I get another boner,” the younger says, shaking his head into the pillow and they leave it at that.

In the middle of the night, Johnny extracts himself from under Jaehyun’s stray arm and drags himself to the comfortable couch in the living room - Jaehyun may smell lovely when sated, but his bed is just too small for an entire tiger hybrid.

 

❃

 

About a year and a half ago, Ten gathered Taeyong’s hands in his own, pursed his lips and said:

“Yongie, you need to slow down. I don’t know what’s gotten into you - I’m guessing it’s because you’re doing so many things on your own now - but I can’t have you getting up before eight in the morning every single day, taking care of this whole apartment _and_ doing all that you do at the studio and everything else. You’re still my pet, baby. You’re meant to be lounging around all day and night and coercing me to spoil you every chance you get, not nyooming around the house with a frying pan in one hand and a duster in the other before I’m even out of bed.”

Taeyong appreciated the exaggerated complaint and the playfulness in Ten’s tone and agreed to balance being a carefree kitten with his newly embraced independence. Still, his body has him up bright and early most days, except for weekends when Ten stays in bed with him, so middle ground means establishing one day in the work week when Taeyong does his best to sleep in and laze around at least until the early afternoon.

This week, that day falls on a Thursday. Ten stretches his arms over his head, yawning, careful not to jostle Taeyong, and slips out of bed after planting a kiss to his kitten’s forehead. He leaves the curtains drawn and goes about his morning routine. Because the first class at the studio he’s teaching doesn’t start till noon, he opts to do some paperwork and emails from the warmth of their living room. That way he has time to make breakfast for Taeyong, too. He’s definitely looking forward to his week off around the upcoming Christmas holidays when he’ll get to do absolutely nothing but spend time at home with Taeyong in his lap.

Just after ten-thirty, he plates two fried eggs next to generously buttered toast, fills a glass with chocolate milk and pads back into the bedroom where Taeyong is still sleeping sweetly, curled under the thick covers.

“Hey, baby, it’s time to wake up,” his voice just above a whisper, he places a hand on Taeyong’s sleeping form after sitting on the edge of the bed. It makes him impatient to have to be so careful about waking Taeyong up, but the cat hybrid has a tendency to startle badly otherwise, so he doesn’t mind it all that much. “Good morning, baby kitten. I made you breakfast.”

Ten loves the intimacy of the moments just after one of them - or both of them - has just woken up. He presses gentle kisses to Taeyong’s sleepy, barely responsive lips, and rubs their noses together until Taeyong turns away and scrunches his nose up, itchy. Ten grins. He strokes his hands up and down Taeyong’s body over the comforter. Taeyong’s rumbly morning purs grow louder when Ten’s fingers card through his hair and scratch his ears.

While Taeyong stretches and rubs sleep out of his eyes, Ten gets up to look at the calendar by their wardrobe. He’s only wearing a pair of tight boxers and a sweater over his sleeping shirt. Taeyong watches him with love.

“Babe, you’re not supposed to go into heat till Saturday, right? Do you feel like it’s coming? You were so warm during the night, I woke up kind of sweaty,” Ten scratches his chin, turning to look at his kitten.

Taeyong takes a moment to assess how he actually feels.

“I guess I kind of feel warm. I mean it could be just some early symptoms.”

“Hmmm. Well, take a suppressant if it comes, okay? I don’t think there’s any way I can stay home today or tomorrow and I don’t want you suffering.”

Taeyong nods, pulling a resigned face to himself. Heat suppressants are great in cases like these, it’s what they’re designed for, but they make Taeyong sluggish and kill his appetite. At least he’ll be able to get through the day with little more than a jerk off session or a larger-than-average dildo.

“You should still send me plenty of pics, though,” Ten winks at him over his shoulder while pulling clothes from the wardrobe. “I wonder why it’s early. You haven’t been stressed lately, have you?”

Taeyong shrugs and replies that he doesn’t know why it might be.

“Tennie, will you put my collar on, please?”

Ten gives him such a dazzling smile, he feels as though he’s floating.

“Which one do you want, sunshine?”

 

Later, however, when Taeyong’s on the floor riding one of his favorite dildos and tugging on his small cock, he gets an idea about why his heat might be off.

He took a picture minutes ago, one that captured his entire body kneeling on the floor, with the dildo half inside of him, tail curled around his torso, one hand tugging on his collar, the other bashfully covering his erection, yet letting the tip peek through. He made sure to be giving the camera an intense, challenging look. His hair, shorter from a recent haircut, was messy and he knew Ten would be thinking about running his hands through it when he got the picture. Still moving in shallow dips on the dildo, he slapped a black and white filter on the photo. In his messaging app, his thumb hovered over Johnny’s name. Immediately flashing through his mind were images of Johnny opening the photo, seeing Taeyong naked, needy, dripping, stretched open, how the tiger would gasp, would he wish he could be there, behind Taeyong, to press a firm hand on his back, fold him forward, yank the dildo out and replace it with his own thick cock, would he--

That’s when it dawned on Taeyong, why his heat is early.

Yesterday, en route to the dance studio for a class Taeyong is in and Ten is teaching, the couple stopped for lunch at the restaurant Johnny works at and were, of course, waited on by their favorite tiger hybrid. He had just started his shift, it seemed, so his ears were still perky and his smile energetic. His hair was frizzy over his forehead, looked like it would be the softest if you were to run your fingers through it. He smelled fresh, like he’d just come out of the shower. Taeyong was mesmerized for longer than was appropriate. Captivated by Johnny’s presence and everything his acute senses were taking in, the smaller hybrid was gripped by warmth and buzzing affection. Alarmingly, puzzlingly, he couldn’t stop thinking that Johnny smelled like home.

And Taeyong knows what home smells like. Ten smells like home. It’s not a particular smell. It’s about the way the scent makes Taeyong feel. Safe, cared for. Like he belongs.

Could it be that the encounter with Johnny triggered his early heat?

 

Taeyong finishes himself off with a moan of Johnny’s name and draws himself a bath. He sits there, soaking in the foamy, lavender scented water, knees drawn to his chest and tail floating close by. He can’t let himself relax too much or he might fall asleep in the tub, with how groggy the suppressants make him, but he takes the time to ponder his feelings for this whole new situation he’s in yet again.

By the end of his contemplations, he’s filled with hopeful excitement. This is getting _somewhere_ . During lunch yesterday, Johnny invited him and Ten to a Christmas show at his university. That’s a good sign, right? He made it sound like a super casual and fun event. And he _must have_ gotten some kind of a hint about Taeyong and Ten’s interest in him if not from the fact that they invited him over for dinner, than from the off-the-charts frequency with which they visit his workplace.

In a follow up text later in the day, Johnny asked if Taeyong and Ten would want to join him and his friends for dinner after the show and Taeyong was a bit disappointed because he thought for sure going to the show together would be sort of like a date. But he’s not complaining. If he gets to spend time with Johnny - and he will be sure to sit his ass as close to the tiger as possible - then it’s _progress._

Ten returns home that night too tired to dive into heat-frenzied sexcapades, so Taeyong takes another suppressant. When Ten asks him about how he’s been fairing while fingering him through an orgasm that should keep him sated for the night, Taeyong doesn’t hesitate to be honest. He confesses to thinking about Johnny through the peak of his heat, about Johnny and Ten ruining him together, about how he thinks seeing Johnny yesterday and being so excited over the Christmas show triggered his heat early. After fitting a thick plug snug inside of Taeyong, Ten pulls him close and studies his face.

“This is getting pretty serious, isn’t it?” he says, arms encircling Taeyong’s waist to rest on his belly. Taeyong’s tiny smile is half-apologetic, half-imploring. Ten kisses him, “I’m with you, baby. I’m kind of... scared ‘cause this is all really new, but I think I know how you feel. And I agree, I’m dying for both of us to get a taste of that dick."

 

On Saturday, when Taeyong’s heat has died down enough that he only needs a sweet, sensual and so, so satisfying love making session in the morning, they decide to go shopping. Ten is in need of a new scarf and sturdy winter shoes, and Taeyong finally saved up enough of his allowance that, with a bit of help from Ten, he can afford an upgrade on the sweatpants he wears during his dance lessons. Hybrid clothes are overpriced, so the most recent pair he bought was of lower quality and it’s chafing his sensitive thighs. The only discomfort he tolerates on his thighs are the purple hickeys Ten regularly leaves.

“You look really good, you know,” Ten remarks, giving Taeyong the playful side eye as they get on the escalator at the mall. The top few buttons on Taeyong’s button down are open, leaving his delightful collarbones on display, and his oversized cardigan engulfs his hands. His eyeliner is impeccable. He’s wearing his delicate deep blue collar - they were already in the elevator of their building when he realized he forgot it and had to run back to get it. It’s the kind of day on which he wants there to be no doubt about who he belongs to.

“You’re looking pretty cute for a human too,” Taeyong smiles back, a tad cheeky. Ten laughs and sweeps a dirty blond lock of his kitten’s forehead before they get off the escalator.

Ten rubs his hands together as soon as they walk into the first store of his choice, a formalwear shop.

“What did you say about only looking for a scarf today?” Taeyong teases, reaching to slot their fingers together again.

“I don’t have enough sweaters that say “director and owner” for meetings,” he shrugs indignantly, and Taeyong decides not to remind him about the two cashmere sweaters he bought just two weekends ago. “Plus, they have scarves here. At least one.”

Browsing through the stores proves to be a more difficult feat than they anticipated. They just can’t seem to stay apart. Taeyong drapes himself over Ten’s side, pressing kisses to his cheek while Ten looks at a hoodie. A minute later, Ten is hugging Taeyong around the waist and resting his chin on his shoulder while he checks the sizes of a stack of pants. They’re holding hands and walking through the aisles, each with a beverage in his hand, looking like the couple of the year. They’re sharing kisses, nuzzles, loving caresses, whispering to each other and Ten even sneaks into a dressing room with his kitten.

“Yongie, we have so many candles already. Please. Just get one or two, let’s wait for some of the ones we have to burn out first before we buy five new ones.”

Taeyong pouts, imitating Ten’s words to himself and putting down some of the candles he’s holding.

“I’m just a baby boy, you can’t treat me like this,” he says, but he only dares throw a single bold glance towards Ten.

Ten gives him the most affronted look he has ever seen, and he’s seen plenty of sass from his boyfriend. Taeyong can’t help himself and bursts into giggles.

Walking through a department store some time after they’ve had lunch, Taeyong suddenly grows quiet, tail curled around one leg. Ten eyes his serious expression.

“What’s wrong, love?”

The kitten shakes his head, “Nothing, nothing. I’m just thinking…”

“We’re shopping right now, not thinking. Save thinking for later while I’m napping.”

“Tennie, I was thinking, do you think it’d be okay if we bought Johnny something for Christmas? We can give it to him as an early gift next week when we go to that event at his university. It feels a bit...weird for us to be out shopping while he’s probably struggling a lot.”

Ten shrugs, “I don’t see why not. It’d be a nice gesture. Hopefully he doesn’t feel like he has to get us something too. We can say that.”

The hybrid chews on his lip while Ten checks the price tag on a coat and shudders once he finds it. They’re pressed to each other, Ten’s arm around Taeyong’s waist. Taeyong wonders if Johnny’s ever been out shopping like this.

“I really worry about him in this cold weather. I hope he has enough warm clothes… Hey! Maybe we should get him a proper hybrid hat. Did you see he was wearing a human one? That must be super uncomfy.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea, didn’t we just pass a rack of hybrid hats and scarves?”

Taeyong spends a long time picking out a wool hat that’s _just_ right for Johnny, size-wise, style-wise, color-wise, and Ten watches him get more and more enthused.

“Babe, can we also get him a few blankets? It’s such a nice winter gift, a blanket, it makes you feel so cozy. We can tie them all together with the hat on top with one of those long pretty bows we saw close to the check out desk. What do you think? And maybe some hand warmers. It’s not weird to get him a blanket, is it? Yeah, people gift each other blankets, right?”

Ten chuckles fondly and reaches to pet his hybrid’s ears.

“Yeah, baby, we can buy him a blanket. I think more than one might be a bit weird, but one sounds like a cute present along with some hot packs.”

They wait in line for check out and Taeyong draws meaningless patterns on Ten’s palm with a finger.

“It must have been so hard on him, living on the street. I keep thinking about it. I hope his apartment isn’t too cold.”

“Tyongie, he’s not ours to worry about,” Ten reminds gently. “He seems like he’s really learned how to be on his own.”

Taeyong’s countenance is still worried and it melts Ten’s heart.

“I think it’s adorable that your...parental instincts are coming out though. You’re really good at taking care of others.”

Taeyong glances at him, then away, shy. His words are almost a whisper when he speaks.

“Babe, can we invite him over for Christmas?”

It takes Ten a moment to study his kitten’s face. He pulls Taeyong closer, both hands around his waist.

“We can invite him. If that’s what you want, we can--”

“Do _you_ want to?”

Ten smiles a bit.

“Yeah. I think I’d like that.”

A grin graces Taeyong’s lips and he wiggles happily in his boyfriend’s arms. They go through a few more stores and Taeyong gets clingier and touchier the more tired he feels. By the time Ten is paying for his final purchase, the kitten is almost a deadweight, draped all over him and nuzzling his face in Ten’s neck. Ten rubs his back and strains to hear what the store employee is saying over the loud purrs.

“Yongie, you know I’m too short to carry you, can we please--”

“Don’t yell at me, I’ve been nothing short of the best kitten in the whole mall,” Taeyong whines and slips his fingertips under Ten’s shirt.

“Why do I have a feeling that we’ll find out who’s really a good kitten once we get home?” Ten says once they’re out of earshot and Taeyong gives him a mischievous smile.

The front door to their apartment isn’t even fully shut before Ten pushes Taeyong up against it and kisses him deep and hot. His hands are all over the hybrid, stroking and groping every inch, and Taeyong winds his fingers in Ten’s hair. Their lips part and Taeyong takes a deep breath as Ten kisses along his jaw, down his neck, all the way to his collarbones where he sucks a pretty mark that makes Taeyong squirm and whine against the hard surface of the door. Ten is suddenly mad that he missed out on his kitten’s heat frenzy.

“You’re just so fucking _hot_ , Yongie, my little kitten, you’re so fucking handsome and cute and hot, you always drive me crazy. And you’re so caring, so lovely to everyone, I can’t _believe_ how caring and empathetic you and and you always want to be good to everyone,” Ten says in one breath and kisses his boyfriend again, their tongues sliding together. Taeyong is whining and pawing weakly at Ten in a plea, but Ten just continues, hands slipping all the way under Taeyong’s clothes to feels his bare torso. “And, Yongie, baby, I forgot to tell you, but I watched the video Yuta took of you the other day and you’re just such a good dancer, my talented kitten, flexible little thing, you’re so hot when you dance.”

“Ten--”

The human gives him no chance to speak, kissing him just as deeply as before and leaving him breathless. Taeyong has drool dripping down his chin, his cock is straining in his tight jeans. Ten keeps talking, but now it’s more like he’s murmuring to himself as he unbuttons his own jeans.

“I’m gonna worship your perfect body tonight, you just wait, baby. But first…” he pushes Taeyong down to his knees and fucks his mouth against the front door.

 

❃

 

It makes Johnny a bit breathless when he sees Taeyong and Ten approach the building the university’s largest auditorium is located in. Ten is wearing a leather jacket over a Christmas sweater with minimalistic decorations, while Taeyong has a bright red Christmas sweater on and a thick and comfy winter jacket over it. When they step closer, Johnny sees the glint of various piercings in Ten’s ear which for some reason makes him glad he popped his favorite little metal ring in his own ear. Gentle snowflakes pepper Ten and Taeyong’s hair. They look...ethereal.

Johnny composes himself quickly, fast enough that Taeyong, preoccupied with the gift bag in his hand and anticipating a lovely warm hug from the tiger, doesn’t even notice. After a warm greeting, Taeyong, filled with nerves and so much excitement, hands Johnny his present and babbles, in a shy voice, about how it’s just an early Christmas present, it’s just been so cold and they were out shopping and they thought that Johnny would probably enjoy having an extra blanket around and there’s a little card, just some season’s greetings, and Johnny absolutely doesn’t have to worry about getting them anything at all, this is just a small gesture from them, in fact would Johnny like to come over to their place for Christmas? They’re going to have a little gathering with some friends, nothing big at all, and they would love to have him.

Taeyong freezes when he realizes what slipped out of his mouth. Ten is trying his hardest to hold back a smirk, instead nodding along. They hadn’t planned to ask him until the end of the night.

“Yeah, we were talking about it just earlier, it’d be great to have you!” he chimes in to his boyfriend’s rescue.

“Uhhhh,” Johnny looks a bit overwhelmed, smiling and peering into the bag. “Well, I-- Well, first of all thank you so much, you really didn’t have to! This is so lovely, this is such a sweet gesture. Thank you, guys, seriously.”

His eyes are so warm and sincere, holding Ten and Taeyong’s gazes in turn. He seems at a loss of words, pulling out the hat and examining it, then looking up at the couple.

“Guys, seriously, thank you so much. Wow. This is so nice of you. And-- For Christmas, I have to, um--”

“It’s no problem if you need some time to think about it! No pressure,” Ten’s fingers brush the tiger’s arm and sparks fly.

“No, I-- I mean, I would love to, really. I just have to-- I usually spend Christmas with my friend Jaehyun’s family, the friend you’re meeting tonight. So I just have to see how I can make that work. What time were you guys planning your gathering?”

They talk as they make their way inside the warm building, Taeyong shaking his head to himself.

When they get to the auditorium, people streaming in and out of the double doors, Johnny leads them to a trio waiting to the side.

“Taeyong, Ten, this is my friend Jaehyun, Jaehyun’s boyfriend Doyoung and his hybrid Sicheng,” Johnny introduces and they all exchange greetings before shuffling in to find seats. Taeyong finds it interesting that Jaehyun has a boyfriend, yet Taeyong has smelled him on Johnny strongly multiple times, but he doesn’t question it. People have all kinds of arrangements and Johnny doesn’t seem like he would be a homewrecker.

 

The show is an hour and a half of funny and touching skits, Christmas songs, a couple of interesting dance performances, and a wildly impressive performance by the university’s choir. Johnny whispers to Ten and Taeyong, during a pause between performances, that Jaehyun usually sings in the choir too, but is sitting out the Christmas performance to focus on a more important recital they have in the new year. By the time it’s done, Taeyong’s thoroughly enjoying himself and this chance to glimpse college life. That, and he made sure his knee was touching Johnny’s the whole time. Even their fingers brushed a couple of times when Taeyong was asking about things on the printed program and Johnny would lean close to explain. The kitten wonders if Johnny’s heart, too, is pounding in his chest.

“Why were you staring at me like that?” Taeyong whispers close to Ten’s ear as they all make their way out towards the parking lot. He’d caught Ten’s smug looks several times during the show.

The human crumbles a corner from the brownie he bought from a charity bake sale outside the auditorium and offers it to Taeyong who accepts it with a bit of a pout.

“Just found it really cute how you and Johnny were acting like highschoolers who are crushing on each other. You’re getting good at this. Plus, he was staring at you too more than once.”

Taeyong’s eyes widen and a blush creeps down his neck. Ten pushes another piece of the brownie between his lips and kisses his cheek. His fingers graze the kitten’s neck where his collar is missing tonight, a deliberate choice they discussed.

“Keep it up, Yongie. It’s your show tonight. Just as long as you don’t forget who you belong to and whose arms you’ll be sleeping in later.”

They end up at a nearby burger place. It’s noisy and cozy, Christmas tunes alternating with some of the latest pop hits spilling from the speakers, and the delicious smells immediately make Taeyong’s stomach rumble. They take a booth where Taeyong strategically steals the seat next to Johnny. Their tails brush as they shift around and electricity zips through Taeyong’s body. He blushes so deeply that he has to pretend to be looking at something really important on his phone for a good five minutes until Ten shoves a menu in his hands. When he glances at Johnny, he catches him glancing away. His ears are twitching. Did he feel that too? Taeyong can’t even tell if he smells anything unusual on the tiger because of how giddy he feels.

But as they order and settle into conversation, the kitten finds himself relaxing. Ten rubs his back and smiles at him while Doyoung answers his question about how he and Sicheng met.

“Well, I work for my father’s business,” Doyoung starts and Taeyong notices he’s got his arm around his hybrid too. “and we have a community service requirement, so I started tutoring at Sicheng’s adoption center. It was one of those ones that have a lot of hybrids from other countries. And Sichengie was one of my first students and we just really liked each other, so after a few months I signed the papers and he became mine.”

Doyoung beams and Jaehyun is beaming at the two of them and Sicheng is directing a shy smile at the table. Taeyong notices the other hybrid is wearing a collar and his ears are twitching in delight. Focusing on the scents he’s picking up, Taeyong can tell how strongly they all smell of each other.

“And I was just lucky enough to meet them both and now I get to have them in my life,” Jaehyun adds and interlocks his fingers with Doyoung’s on the table.

“But you’re still _my_ best friend though,” Johnny jokes. His giggle is so charming that Ten finds himself struggling to tear his gaze away.

As their food arrives, they move between conversation topics and Taeyong mentions he’s getting his regular manicure done next week.

“Oh, where do you get it done?” Sicheng, who’s been mostly quiet so far, asks him.

“I go to “Paws and Claws” at the mall down the road. Have you heard of it? They give the best hand massages.”

“I haven’t. The guy who usually did my nails quit recently and I haven’t loved any of the other employee’s manicures, to be honest, so I’m looking for a new place.”

“Oh! Well, maybe we can go together next week? You can tag along and try out the girl that does mine, she’s this really sweet bunny hybrid. I’m going on Thursday, if you’re available.”

“Doyoungie?” Sicheng nudges his owner’s arm, but Doyoung is intently following Jaehyun, Ten and Johnny’s conversation. “Hyung. Hyung, can I go get my nails done with Taeyong next week? On Thursday, I can take a cab. Or maybe Kun can drive me?”

“Where, baby?” Doyoung answers, distracted.

“It’s at the mall.”

“Sure, that should be fun. I know you’ve been complaining lately.”

“Johnny, where do you get your nails done?” Taeyong asks curiously once there is an opening in the conversation. While domestic cat hybrids do need good maintenance of their nails so they don’t get too sharp and dig into their skin, it’s nothing that can’t be taken care of at home and going to a hybrid nail salon is more of an indulgence. Big cat hybrids, on the other hand, more or less need the professional care, as their nails grow a lot thicker and sharper more quickly.

Johnny rubs his neck and shrugs, “I just do it at home. Nail salons are expensive, man! I just take an hour or two each Sunday and put on some Netflix.”

“Oh, cool,” Taeyong smiles, nodding in understanding, but his heart is breaking. He doesn’t know the specifics, but he’s heard that big cat hybrid nail care requires professional tools or otherwise it takes a ton of effort and time. He almost opens his mouth to invite Johnny to join him and Sicheng next week, but something tells him it might be too forward, too out there, too weird to offer to pay for that too, after the gifts they got him. He doesn’t want to make Johnny uncomfortable like that.

But then Doyoung surprises him, “Johnny, why don’t you go with them next Thursday? My treat for all three of you, it’ll be my Christmas present to you guys.”

Jaehyun gives his boyfriend a most adoring look.

Taeyong and Sicheng get into a conversation about their tail grooming routines then and are so deep in sharing fur dyeing insights that Ten offers he and Taeyong switch seats, so the two cat hybrids can talk more comfortably. Even while intently listening to Sicheng’s story about Chinese tail grooming traditions, Taeyong notices how closely Ten is leaning into Johnny as they talk, a hand on the tiger’s knee. It makes his heart pull itself back together and leap in joy.

Since Jaehyun is spending the night with Doyoung and Sicheng, Ten offers Johnny a ride home. Taeyong is ecstatic to see Johnny putting on his new hat.

“It’s so comfortable, Tyongie,” Johnny says smoothing his hands over material and Taeyong’s heart skips a beat because it’s the most affectionate nickname Johnny has ever called him. “It fits over my ears with just enough wiggle room. I love it, for real, thank you so much.”

“It’s nothing, I’m glad you like it,” he replies and puts the evening down in his books as a grand success.

 

❃

 

“What did you say Jungwoo said they’re bringing?” Taeyong asks, pulling orange juice from the fridge. He’s the epitome of baby boy in his giant sweater and boxer briefs, hair messy, soft over his forehead. “Stop staring at my non-existent ass.”

Ten laughs, “I’m just enjoying your legs, baby. You’re getting some real definition on there from all that dancing you’ve been doing.”

“But what did Jungwoo say he’s bringing?”

“Some kind of pudding, I don’t know. Or pie. Can we eat, I’ll just check my messages later.”

“We can,” Taeyong says, setting two glasses of juice on the coffee table and turning to climb into his owner’s lap. “Anything for my handsome master.”

Ten snorts and slips his palms into Taeyong’s boxers, happily accepting a filthy kiss. When they finally part, Ten still nipping on Taeyong’s bottom lip, Taeyong whispers:

“Merry Christmas, Tennie,” and his eyes are twinkling with love and lust and happiness and Ten doesn’t even reply, just kisses him again. It’s mostly lips this time, more loving than anything, and Taeyong rests his head on Ten’s shoulder after, gazing at their Christmas tree. It’s not a huge one, but it’s beautifully decorated, and with lots of love. The two of them took time to do it together one night, along with the rest of their apartment, and it was overwhelmingly domestic, just how Taeyong loves it. “I’ve probably said this before, but spending the holidays with you is really a fairytale come to life. Everything I could have wanted.”

Ten smiles brightly and plants a couple of playful kisses on his kitten’s lips.

“And you’re everything _I_ could have ever wanted, Yongie. You make everything brighter.”

Ten’s fingers card through Taeyong’s hair, eliciting sweet morning purrs.

“Are you excited for tonight, love?”

Taeyong nods against his boyfriend’s shoulder. His tail swishes gently behind him.

“You know how much I love Christmas dinners. We haven’t seen everyone in a while too,” Then, after a pause, he adds, arms tightening around Ten, “But I’m most excited for Johnny to join.”

“Yeah. I know, baby. It’s...it’ll be very nice to have him. I’m sure he’ll get along with everyone too.”

Taeyong pulls back to meet Ten’s eyes.

“Do you think it’s weird, this whole thing with Johnny? Do you think he even knows that like...that we’re...Whatever we’re doing. What _are_ we doing?”

It takes Ten forever to reply. He’s still playing with the front of Taeyong’s sweater, so that the hybrid isn’t overly anxious about his reply.

“We like him. We’re a couple, I’m a human and your owner, you’re my pet. But we like him and want him to be part of our lives in some way, right?”

Taeyong nods. He slips his fingers in Ten’s hands.

“But it’s more than that. You know I think about him a lot. I can’t explain what I feel for him. I just feel like...I just _want_ to be with him like I am with you.”

Ten’s grip on Taeyong’s hands tightens for a second and his face is unreadable, before it softens.

“Yeah. I know,” he says in a flat tone, but it’s not unkind. “It’s not weird, Yongie. It happens. I know you have a big heart. I’m trying my best to feel the same for him, and I think for the most part I do. I like him a lot. Even though I love _you_ first and foremost and that will never change.”

Taeyong nods again, feeling a whole bunch of things all at once. The air in the room is warm and cozy and comforting, and so is Ten’s scent, but this conversation is yet another difficult milestone in the concentric circles Taeyong feels like he’s been going in since he met Johnny. But if the circles are concentric, that means they lead somewhere, doesn’t it? He just doesn’t know where.

“I’m sorry I’m always bringing him up,” he sighs. “I just...I don’t know, it feels right, everything related to Johnny. You do like him too, right?” Taeyong checks. “I’ve seen you looking at him, and last week at dinner the two of you seemed really into it when I moved to sit next to Sicheng.”

Ten shrugs with a mystical smile and foregoes addressing that.

“I mean, the bottom line is that we both want to have Johnny be some kind of-- to have some part in our relationship, right? We’ve gotten to know him a bit and I don’t think we’ve been subtle, babe,” Ten points out and Taeyong laughs. “I think he knows. I don’t know what he thinks about it. Maybe it’s hard for him to understand, I don’t know, since he’s...been on his own.”

“You’re right, maybe he needs more time. But he seems to be happy to be friends at least, so that means he’s not weirded out, right? Maybe you’re right, maybe he just doesn’t really know how to show that he’s also interested.”

Ten is nodding along, “I haven’t forgotten what we talked about in the summer either, about how you want something or somebody to take care of, other than me. And, of course, you take care of _me_ better than anyone could.”

They’d been talking on and off, all those months ago, about Taeyong feeling just a bit lonely. They’d ruled out looking to adopt another hybrid, feeling that the process might be too cumbersome and not exactly what Taeyong needed. But they’d visited a local puppy shelter several times and decided to take some time to think about whether having an actual pet around might not bring the kind of change and dynamic to their lives that they’d been looking for.

Taeyong sighs. There’s more to talk about, there always is, but he feels that there is no point dwelling on this any longer on a beautiful Christmas morning. He kisses Ten again before climbing off his lap.

“I’m starving, let’s eat,” the kitten brings their plates from the kitchen counter and settles next to his boyfriend. “Maybe if dinner runs too late, we can offer him to stay the night. I can get the guest room ready.”

Ten laughs fondly and digs into his rice. “I love you.”

“I love you, too!”

 

It’s 6:25 pm and Taeyong is humming to himself while rearranging the decorations on the dinner table. Everything is ready, with the exception of a pan of cinnamon rolls which is still in the oven, infusing the apartment with delightful aromas. Ten should be back any minute now with Johnny who he went to pick up. Their friends, Yukhei and Jungwoo with their hybrids Mark and Donghyuck, are supposed to arrive around seven, but knowing them, Taeyong will probably get a text that they’re leaving their house at five past seven.

Taeyong is ready for all of that, and more than excited. He’s donned a comfortable festive cardigan over a white button down, styled his hair, picked out a thin brown collar, and even pulled out his special reindeer slippers for the occasion. Once more, he looks like the nation’s baby boy. He hopes Johnny will think so, too, because the most exciting thing about tonight is, of course, that Johnny is coming over. And Johnny might stay the night. Taeyong had Ten change the bedsheets in the guest room and freshen it up earlier while the kitten was in the kitchen, so everything is ready in case Johnny wants to stay over. And Taeyong really hopes that he does.

Before Taeyong’s imagination can spin any fluffy scenarios about all the things that could happen if Johnny stayed over (maybe Johnny would be cold and would need Taeyong to cuddle him, maybe Johnny would cuddle both him and Ten, maybe Taeyong could even _tuck. Johnny. in!_ ), the front door opens, announcing Ten’s return.

“Ho-ho-ho, merry Christmas!” Ten calls out with only a hint of holiday cheer in his voice. Tayong pads over to the foyer to greet them. “I’ve got a delivery of one hunky tiger! Signature and payment required.”

Johnny is chuckling embarrassedly while Ten slips his coat off.

“How much do I owe you, skinny Santa?” Taeyong grins.

“Well, we have to be decent around the guests, so I guess a single kiss will do.”

Taeyong gives Ten a brief kiss on the lips, then moves to hug Johnny.

“Smells great in here,” Johnny remarks as they part. He’s gorgeous and glowing as usual and his oversized wool sweater makes him look even cuddlier.

“It’s the cinnamon rolls!”

“Johnny got us the cutest gift, babe,” Ten says, gesturing the the gift bag the tiger had set on the ground to pull his shoes off.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have, we--”

“It’s just something small!” Johnny objects, holding out the bag for Taeyong to take. “Just something for the house.”

Inside the bag are two pairs of slippers: one is a ridiculously fuzzy grey and white pair that might be a wolf or maybe a husky, while the other has smiling polar bear faces protruding on the front. Taeyong is in love, and not just with the new house footwear.

“These are adorable! Oh my God, are you kidding? These are so cute! Ten, did you see these?”

Ten is smiling fondly, “I did see them, I knew you’d react that way. I call dibs on the bear ones! You can deal with all the fur on the other ones, you like fuzzy things.”

“Johnny, thank you so much, they are lovely! I’ll leave them with the rest of the guest pairs for tonight.”

“Oh, that reminds me! Johnny, you should see Yongie’s plushie collection. It’s very impressive.”

Johnny looks surprised, “A whole collection? I love plushies! I’d love to see it.”

 

The next hour goes smoothly and comfortably, the three of them catching up in front of the TV and trying not to eat too much cheese while waiting for the Yukhei and family to arrive. Taeyong excitedly - and just a smidge shyly - shows Johnny his collection of plushies which lives atop several shelves in his and Ten’s bedroom. Johnny seems genuinely enamoured by it, judging by the amount of gasps and coos coming out of him as Taeyong pulls stuffie and after stuffie down. Johnny has to help the kitten with the top shelf and lean extra close and Taeyong wishes Ten was in the room so he could give him a Look™.

“Every month Ten buys me a new one. This is the most recent one,” Taeyong holds up a stuffed Tigger that makes Johnny laugh and point between himself and the toy. _If you only knew_ , the smaller hybrid thinks and opens a small cabinet on the side. “This is where I keep my cleaning supplies. I dust them off every week and wash some of them every month.”

“So when you say you collect the toys, do you mean you just kind of keep a collection, or do they have a purpose, do you do something with them?” Johnny asks, moving the paw of a stuffed bear in a wave.

Taeyong can feel a blush in his cheeks, but knows what he’s about to say is disarmingly cute, so he’s not actually too embarrassed at all, “I sleep with them. I try to do a rotation, you know, so none of them feel left out. A different one every few nights.”

Johnny lets out an exaggerated gasp and clutches his heart.

“Yeah, Ten doesn’t love it cause they kind of get in the way sometimes, but I know he secretly likes having stuffies in bed too,” Taeyong hugs the Tigger to his chest, shrugging. “He’s a lot cuddlier than he comes off as.”

“You’re so adorable! Both of you. Wow, Yongie, I’m so jealous, this is a _lovely_ collection!”

But Taeyong stopped listening at the use of the pet name and is shyly tucking his chin to his neck. Johnny called him adorable. He called him _Yongie_. Will Johnny ever stop making him feel small?

“I wish I had this many plushies, I love stuffed toys! They’re just so cute. I do have one at home, I’ll show it to you sometime, I sleep with it too! My mum gave it to me a really long time ago at the adoption center.”

That quickly sobers Taeyong up, but he’s at a loss for words. As they make their way back to the living room, he wracks his brain to think of a way to tell Johnny that he would share his plushies with the tiger _any_ day without being weird.

The buzzer for the building’s front door goes off just as Taeyong fits some of the main course dishes back in the oven to keep them warm. Ruckus explodes from the intercom as Ten presses the button to check who it is, so he doesn’t even have to ask, recognizing the obnoxious laughter. Soon the same din makes its way to their floor and Taeyong takes a deep breath in anticipation of the barrelling entrance their friends are about to make.

After lots of introductions, hugs, shouts and laughter, everyone makes their way to the dining table. Donghyuck clears his throat.

“Taeyong hyung, is Johnny the same handsome beefcake tiger hybrid you were telling Mark about?” he asks, making Ten choke on his wine.

“Beefcake? Tiger cake?” Mark wonders next to him and Yukhei snickers, but Donghyuck doesn’t even deign to roll his eyes.

Mark, a scrawny lion hybrid who still hasn’t outgrown looking like a cub, was one of Taeyong’s closest friends back at the adoption center. The two stayed in touch once Taeyong was adopted since adoptees were recommended semi-regular visits back to the facility, so their transition to their new lives isn’t too abrupt. After the older hybrid’s adoption, Mark became best buds with a cat hybrid his age, namely, Donghyuck. Right around that time Yukhei, Ten’s business partner and co-owner of the dance studio, married his husband Jungwoo and when they were hoping to adopt hybrids some time later, there seemed to be no better match for their (or perhaps mainly Yukhei’s) chaotic energy than the energetic hybrid duo Mark and Donghyuck.

The atmosphere around the table is jovial, filled with banter and laughter and holiday spirit that makes everyone feel warm. Christmas tunes play in the background and the air smells of delightful dishes. Johnny finds himself easily falling into conversation with pretty much anyone around the table and feels like he’s the company of close friends in spite of never having met the Wongs before. Where Yukhei is obnoxiously endearing, Jungwoo is quieter, his voice soft, but he comes across as charming and funny to Johnny nonetheless.

Johnny feels so welcomed, so embraced, like he’s been part of their circle for ages. He’s loving Taeyong’s cooking and tells him as much, jokingly letting out a loud purr as he shoves another bite in his mouth. Taeyong is glowing and laughing along with everybody and Johnny holds his gaze for a bit longer. When he tears his eyes away, they fall on Ten, who is watching Johnny in turn with a soft gaze. He gives the tiger a smile that seems to hold a lot, a lot more than Johnny is willing to try to unpack at that moment.

Surprisingly - or not? - Johnny hits it off best with the youngest at the table. At one point the noise level of the conversation between him, Mark and Donghyuck is even louder than Yukhei’s usual enthused yelling. When Mark leans close to show Johnny a video on his phone that has both of them exploding in laughter, Donghyuck remarks that they look like father and son, _in a weird cross-species way_. Hyuck hardly seems to have a filter, curious about what it’s like being a big cat hybrid who isn’t forever stuck in cubhood (earning himself a painful elbow in the arm from Mark). He asks plenty of questions and Johnny has a hard time telling which ones are asked in humor, but is happy to answer. The only question that trips him up isn’t really a question.

“Very interesting, very interesting, hyung,” Hyuck nods. “You know, I ask this this question every time I meet a feline hybrid of a different species. You know how in actual cats, the males have these little barbs on the penises. Well do--”

He doesn’t get to finish because of the hand Jungwoo claps over his mouth, but Mark, Yukhei and Ten all look like they’re listening carefully, intrigued on a philosophical level.

“Told you that’s too much wine,” Jungwoo says to Yukhei.

“Oh, he’s _fine_ ,” Yukhei smacks a kiss on his husband’s cheek.

Johnny tries to keep his face from flushing and politely turns to Ten to talk about climate change instead.

The rest of the dinner continues in the same spirit, until everyone is too full to function. They move to the couches and chairs around the coffee table and let the food settle in their stomachs, carrying loose conversations while “The Grinch” plays on the TV. At some point agreement is reached that everyone feels some room has opened for dessert and the hosts leave to fetch pastries from the kitchen.

Ten wraps his arms around Taeyong when they reach the counter.

“I’m having a great time,” he says, pressing generous kisses to Taeyong’s temple and hair. “You really outdid yourself today, everything tasted great. And our apartment is just beautiful.”

Taeyong lets his head fall back on Ten’s shoulder, pressing closer to his kisses.

“You helped too! And I agree, I really think this is one of the best Christmas dinners we’ve had so far.”

The apartment is bathed in the colorful glow of hundreds of Christmas lights. Their decorations aren’t minimalistic, but they aren’t over the top either, a festive vase here, a couple of garlands there, some cute figurines and candles. A home they cherish.

Side by side, they prepare a tray with bite-sized portions of the various desserts. Ten licks some jam off Taeyong’s finger before washing his hands and picking up dessert plates and utensils.

“It’s getting pretty late. I’ll go ask Johnny if he wants to stay,” he says and Taeyong nods, blowing him a kiss.

When Taeyong returns to the living room with the dessert tray, Johnny almost has a heart attack. In fact, the moment he looks at Taeyong, he’s pretty sure he can hear the drum sound they include in cartoons when a character is shocked.

Taeyong has taken off his cardigan and his white button down clings to his lithe frame. It clings so well that Johnny can clearly see the outlined shapes of two small barbels right where Taeyong’s nipples are, so he has to excuse himself to the bathroom to tame the tightening in his pants.

 

“I feel like a stuffed turkey,” Taeyong announces from the couch cushions he’s sprawled on top of some time later. The Wongs just left, after many goodbyes and exchanged numbers and after Yukhei insists to give everyone a wet but genuine kiss on the cheek. Right before getting in the elevator, Hyuck threw a glance over his shoulder and said, _Ten hyung, I like Johnny. You should keep him,_ leaving Johnny to pretend he didn’t hear that by occupying himself with his phone.

“You and me both,” Johnny agrees, slumped in an armchair, tail limp in his lap.

Ten comes back for more dirty glasses.

“So I just have to clean this entire house by myself?” he accuses.

WIth a number of long groans, Taeyong drags himself up and off the couch and helps Johnny up too. The trio make quick work of tidying up the more important areas and leave some for the morning, deciding they are way too spent to finish watching the movie. Johnny needs directions about where to put all the different items he’s cleaning up, but aside from that it feels somehow natural to have him around. Ten is surprised to realize he’s not finding himself any more possessive of his pet than usual, and in fact likes seeing him and Johnny bump around the living room as they clean.

“Here’s two extra blankets and another pillow,” Taeyong sets the items down on the guest bed once they’re getting ready for sleep. “We turn down the heat at night, so these should definitely keep you warm. Oh, and come look at my plushie collection to pick out a few. If you want to have them in your bed during the night. You’re welcome to pick any and all you like!”

Johnny ends up picking the Tigger and a cute brown owl.

“Sorry we don’t have any clothes your size,” Taeyong says once Johnny has the plushies pressed to his chest, looking like the cuddliest man on Earth. The kitten desperately wishes he could curl up and fall asleep between him and Ten.

“Oh, no, it’s no problem at all! I um, I sleep in my underwear sometimes, it’s no big deal,” Johnny waves a hand and almost drops the owl. This time Taeyong wishes he could be in bed between Ten and Johnny for entirely different reasons.

“Did you need to use the bathroom?” he asks, throat dry, so he clears it. He can feel his ears flaming. “I think I just heard Ten come out.”

“In a minute I will. You can go if you need to, will you just let me know when you’re done?”

Fifteen minutes and several skincare products later, Taeyong is ready for bed. He’s settling a stuffed arctic fox between his and Ten’s pillows when he hears Johnny return to the guest room.

“Knock, knock,” he says, leaning on the door frame. Johnny is sitting on the edge of the bed and looking through his phone. He looks soft and lovely. Taeyong yearns to be in his arms. The kitten’s voice is quiet, “Hey. Just came to say goodnight. It’s really great having you around...I hope you enjoyed yourself tonight, I know our friends can be a bit much.”

Johnny laughs and waves a hand. If his eyes are twinkling in that moment, the way Taeyong is pretty sure they are, then that twinkle is only a reflection of the one in Taeyong’s own eyes.

“I had a great time! It’s so different spending Christmas with you guys, but I loved it. Thank you so much for having me, I’m really grateful.”

Taeyong smiles and nods. He looks around the room.

“Well, I’m just about ready to go to sleep. I think you should have everything you need and if there’s anything at all, feel free to come let us know, okay?”

Johnny smiles, “Thank you. Good night, Yongie.”

And then Taeyong crosses the room in a few quick steps and leans in and presses a kiss to Johnny’s cheek.

“Good night, Johnny,” he whispers and practically scampers out of the room, leaving the tiger enveloped in a blanket of tingles.

Johnny sits glued there on the edge of the bed a bit longer, pondering the direction his life is taking and what, if anything, this whole day means. It seems like every time he tries to have a little chat with himself about all this - Taeyong and Ten and how he feels around them and why they’re so kind to him - his mind decides it’s not the best time to think about that and directs his attention to something else. Tonight, however, really does seem like a less than ideal time, given how tired, sated and happy Johnny is. He decides to grab himself a glass of water in case he wakes up thirsty and call it a night.

He’s surprised to find Ten’s small figure resting against the kitchen counter. The human is wearing a loose tank top and...boxers? Those are definitely boxers, Johnny realizes, and snaps his eyes away from Ten’s crotch.

“Oh, hey there. Not asleep yet?”

Johnny scratches his ear, “Just came to get some water. Are you enjoying that?”

Ten hums around a mouthful,”You know how it goes. Sometimes you just wanna stand at the kitchen counter and eat cheesecake in the middle of the night. You don’t drink milk before bed? I thought that was a cat thing.”

That gets a laugh out of Johnny. He explains that he likes milk so much and if he drinks it before bed he can’t help but have too much of it.

The lights are dim around them, the only glow coming from the strings of Christmas lights and the small lamp over the sink. The shadows fall on Ten’s body in a way that makes him look even more attractive. He sets his plate down and reaches into the cupboard above him to hand Johnny a glass. Their fingers brush as the tiger takes it and neither can say it wasn’t deliberate, nor that the unreadable gleam in their eyes doesn’t mean anything.

“There’s a pitcher in the fridge.”

“Thanks. Your apartment is gorgeous, by the way. Everything is decorated beautifully. It’s so simple, but really on point. I really like the touches of lavender in the bathroom too.”

“Oh, that’s all Yongie. He takes care of our home like no one else can. I just get asked my opinion, but I trust his judgement most of the time.”

“Sorry if Donghyuck made you uncomfortable earlier,” Ten says while Johnny pours water.

Johnny laughs, “No worries, he didn’t make me uncomfortable at all. Hybrids get questions like that all the time, and I know he was joking. No hard feelings at all.”

“No, I was talking about him saying that you’re a, what was it? Handsome beefcake? And all that stuff about how we should keep you and all,” the human clarifies. His gaze is studying Johnny with precision and Johnny is flustered.

“I-I don’t mind,” he stutters out. The silence between them is so loaded, he doesn’t know what else to say.

“Well, anyway, it’s very nice having you around. Me and Yongie were talking, you really brightened our Christmas, and it looked like you were getting along with the Wongs too,” Ten smiles. Johnny’s eyes slide over the human’s gorgeous features, and there’s warmth blooming in his chest.

“I’m just grateful to have had the chance to spend the holiday with you. It was truly great,” he says quietly, taking a sip of his water.

Ten puts his plate away in the sink.

“Good night, Johnny. Sweet dreams,” he says and brushes a hand down Johnny’s arm on his way past him.

Johnny lays in bed later, barely able to keep his eyes open. He’s burning with some kind of a giddy, fluttery feeling, heart racing. This must be the beginning of something great, he thinks, right before he drifts off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You made it to the end!!! Is this fic becoming slow burn?
> 
> You can find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/johnxuxi).
> 
> Please, let me know what you thought in the comments! Comments are what keep authors going, show us that people are engaged in our stories, and every comment means so much to me, so thanks so much to everyone who does comment! I love it when people take the time to drop even a line, let alone ask questions and discuss the content more! It also helps me realize if I'm missing anything. I have everything built out in my head, but it's easy to forget that readers don't, so I don't want to miss out on important info!
> 
> P.S. I am working on some Christmas Johnjae for an unrelated fic so that should be up very soon!


	5. five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone had a fantastic time around the holidays! I give you, once more, a chapter I had to split in two because it was going to be very long otherwise.

The morning on the day after Christmas, Taeyong has the pleasure (and privilege, he would add) to wake up snuggled in Ten’s embrace, make breakfast for both Ten and Johnny, and enjoy a domestic meal with them at one end of the dining table which is still stretched from last night’s dinner. On a whim, they decide to catch a movie together, then end up getting lunch before dropping Johnny off at his apartment. They part with the warmest of hugs.

Over the next few weeks, until halfway through January, the three don’t see each other at all. Johnny works almost every day, saving up for the new semester, and Ten and Taeyong hardly have time to stop by the restaurant. On New Year’s Eve, Taeyong watches fireworks bloom in the sky and their reflection is even brighter in Ten’s happy eyes. They kiss as the clock strikes midnight, and Taeyong presses his eyes shut so tight, and makes a wish.

He wishes that in the new year, things will fall into place. That in the new year, a third chair around their dining table will be occupied more often. Maybe even permanently.  


In the second week of January, Taeyong and Ten pack a large suitcase and spend a week in the mountains. Two years ago they did this for the first time, went on a winter vacation, and it was then that they took some ski lessons together, mostly for the fun of it. This year, they’re moderately confident about their skills, enough to rent equipment and spend two mornings on one of the gentler, quieter slopes at the resort, goofing around skiing. Naturally, they’re just rolling together in the snow about half the time, and it’s fantastic, it gets them so exhausted that they go back to their lodge, drink tea huddled together in front of the fire place in the small restaurant, then pass out in bed until late afternoon. They take romantic walks, visit one or two tourist attractions, take a million cute photos, make sweet love whenever they feel like it, and spend ridiculous but unforgettable amounts of time in each other’s arms. Taeyong proudly wears a variety of collars, imagining that everyone must be  _so_ jealous to see him belonging to the world's most stunning owner.

Throughout the entire week, Taeyong mentions Johnny only every day. They’ve been texting on and off, so about half the time the kitten mentions him, it’s to tell Ten about something funny they texted each other. But the other half are musings: what would this vacation be like if Johnny was with them?

It should bother Ten...and perhaps it does just a tiny bit, but that tiny bit is so much smaller than he thought it would be, that he’s happy to ignore it. At first Taeyong used to be very careful about when and how he mentions Johnny. This is _their_ time after all, their couple vacation, their tradition. It’s not right to bring up a random third party who you have a crush on. But Johnny isn’t a random third party anymore. He’s...Johnny. And whenever Taeyong wonders out loud what going to the spa or sledding together with the tiger hybrid would be like, there’s no sense in the kitten’s voice that something is missing from the way things are at that moment, with just him and Ten at this cozy lodge in the middle of a snow paradise. Instead, it’s more of a _One day, we’ll find out_ kind of wondering, an excited look to the future that hardly pulls him from the present. And each and every time, Ten is amazed at how it seems that his boyfriend’s heart is _just that big_ , how Taeyong can be in the moment with Ten, wholly, yet spare a minute to think about Johnny and what it would be like to be in that moment, wholly, with both Johnny and Ten.

And if Ten had deeply buried doubts, insecurities, anxieties before - which he did, though he doesn’t admit that to himself until after they return to Seoul - their annual winter vacation dispels those like a gust of wind can lift mist.

Taeyong’s devotion to their relationship is unshakable. Taeyong’s adoration for Ten is just as endless as Ten’s is for the kitten. There is room in their relationship, perhaps in their home too, for another. Another someone who has already captivated their hearts.  


As Taeyong and Ten settle back into their routine after their vacation, Johnny begins his new semester at school and is excited to tell Taeyong all about his new classes. Even through text and scattered emojis, Taeyong can feel Johnny’s passion for his studies. He’s not excited for all of his subjects, it seems, but those that he _is_ interested in - his enthusiasm for them is contagious and Taeyong can’t wait to hear more in person. Johnny fires up his intellectual curiosity in unfamiliar ways, the concept of learning and learning beyond what one would read in an issue of National Geographic or see in a documentary never having crossed his mind before. Taeyong prompts him too, keeps the conversation going by constantly asking about this subject or that professor. When Johnny complains, off-handedly, that sometimes he wishes he didn’t have to go all the way to the University’s library to study - where he wasn’t even always guaranteed a comfortable study space - Taeyong immediately offers the little desk in the apartment’s spare bedroom. Ten uses it occasionally when working from home, he explains, but Johnny is more than welcome to drop by anytime he needs a quiet study space. _I’ll even bring you tea_ , he types, smiling to himself at the thought.

Johnny has been texting with Ten too, though more sporadically. Their text chains are brief, the occasional meme and keysmash or pretty photos they take at random times in their days, the skyline, a tiny lizard, a stranger’s blurry face in the window of the subway car. Ten is...intimidating. Pulling him with an invisible magnet, yet staying at an arm’s length. Or is it Johnny whose arm keeps them apart in that metaphor?

Texting with Taeyong is easy, light, makes Johnny giddy and happy, though he doesn’t think about that too much. They talk about moments from their days and anime and send each other cute videos or pictures, kindling a bond based on the mush in their hearts. Any time the video in question is of a baby animal being petted, Taeyong replies with a “me” and it’s catching on with Johnny too.

 

**[01-17 4:44 pm] Tyongie:**

Johnny look it’s me

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLL_S3oKEhA ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLL_S3oKEhA)

 

**[01-17 4:51 pm] Younghorangi:**

Yongie omg

It’s me too!!!

Dude my ears are so sensitive, i swear i canNOT sontain my purrs when i get them scratched

contain*

Jaehyun usually uses it against me in class lol

 

**[01-17 4:53 pm] Tyongie:**

Lol good to know!!

 

 **[01-17 5:14 pm]** **Tyongie:**

Oh my god

That’s me getting out of bed in the morning look!!

It’s also Ten tbh

The black fur suits his emo charms and he’s always poking out the odd limb before he emerges fully lolol

 

**[01-17 5:20 pm] Younghorangi:**

KLHFGJKHGJGJFG

Thats so cute!

Look at those little paws

 

**[01-17 5:22 pm] Tyongie:**

hahaha

Hold on

 

**[Tyongie added 101010 and Younghorangi to group chat “Cute stuff”]**

 

**[01-17 5:24 pm] Tyongie:**

Babe

Look it’s you getting out of bed in the morning

 

**[01-17 5:24 pm] Younghorangi:**

Jhfdjdffdf

 

**[01-17 5:34 pm] 101010:**

Wow

Honestly...i’m mildly offended but i don’t know why

I AM that cute

Check this out tho

_[101010 sent an attachment]_

 

Carefully balancing his glue brush on the bottle cap he’s been using to pour glue in, Taeyong picks up his phone to check the notification in the group chat. He gasps as soon as he sees the image Ten sent, then chuckles to himself. It’s a photo of Taeyong himself, though you wouldn’t really be able to tell, because the kitten is just a bump under the blankets. His gorgeous tail, fur ruffled and sticking up in different directions, is the only thing that pokes out from under the comforter. Just as he sends a sticker of a shy bunny to the group chat, he hears the apartment door open. In a minute, Ten is next to the dinner table which Taeyong has been using as a surface for his clothes designing hobby for the last hour. It’s littered with paints and boxes of beads and strings and tubes of glitter and strips of cloth and the disarray gives Taeyong a sense of satisfaction, like he’s been engaging in some truly high form of art.

“Hey, baby kitten,” Ten says after pressing a kiss to Taeyong’s waiting lips. He rests his hand on Taeyong’s neck and rubs a thumb into the skin. “Did you like that photo I sent?”

Taeyong laughs, “I had forgotten about that one.”

“Yeah, I know, I was just waiting for a chance to bring it up again. I bet Johnny will love it.”

“How was work?”

Taeyong continues working on his latest project - a scarf - while Ten undresses then and there in the living room, dropping his clothes on the floor and getting ready to take a shower, and tells his pet about his day. Johnny must be busy because he doesn’t respond to the message until several hours later.

 

**[01-17 8:15 pm] Younghorangi**

Oooooooooooooooooh my god

Is that yongie

??

 

**[01-17 8:19 pm] Younghorangi**

You won’t believe this

_[Younghorangi sent an attachment]_

Jae took that like last week

 

“Tyongie, check your messages,” Ten says, nudging Taeyong’s thigh with a toe. They’re on the opposite ends of the couch, legs tangled together as Ten watches TV and Taeyong reads a book.

Much like earlier, the softest gasp falls from Taeyong’s lips when he opens the group chat and sees the photo Johnny sent. It’s a (bigger) bump under layers of blankets, and Taeyong recognizes the top one as the blanket he and Ten gifted the tiger hybrid. Curled over the covers is a striped tail and if you look closely, you see orange ears poking out above the edge of the blankets.

 

**[01-17 8:21 pm] Tyongie:**

Thats amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Taeyong draws a thigh up to his chest and spends several minutes studying the picture in detail, zooming in and out. He notices a stuffed bear in the corner of the bed. Keeps looking at how long and beautiful Johnny’s tail is. He feels warm all over.

“That’s adorable, isn’t it?” Ten’s teasing voice startles him out of his thoughts. He looks up - his boyfriend’s been watching him with a smile. Taeyong nods. “He’s very cute. You have a great taste in men, Yongie…”

Taeyong laughs and chucks his phone on the table, clambering into Ten’s lap to bury his face in his neck.

A few blocks away, hunched over his phone on the edge of his bed, one leg out of his jeans as he just came home and really needs to shower, Johnny rubs a hand over his chest where there’s a spinning ball of tingles and warmth. He stares at the photo of Taeyong buried under the covers and even though he can see nothing more than the kitten’s tail, he can’t help but feel deeply fond.

 

❃

 

**[01-22 9:31 pm] Younghorangi:**

Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Hnghhhhh

 

**[01-22 9:32 pm] Jaehyunnie:**

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Rrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

**[01-22 9:32 pm] Younghorangi:**

Ugh jae i can’t concentrate for shit and i still have so much to go over

 

**[01-22 9:33 pm] Jaehyunnie:**

Oh is that why you were saying ughhhh

I thought you were pooping

 

**[01-22 9:34 pm] Younghorangi:**

Shit up

SHUT**

Oh my god

 

**[01-22 9:34 pm] Jaehyunnie:**

LMAO DFGDFGDF

 

**[01-22 9:34 pm] Younghorangi:**

Kjkjlkkjkjkl

Anyway are u even studying

  


It goes on like that for a few more minutes, before Johnny puts down his phone and slumps even lower into his tiny bed. Studying at home was a bad decision, but neither he, nor Jaehyun had the energy to roll out of bed and meet up to study together. So here he is now, almost ready to fall asleep, keeping a leaky brick wall all around his anxiety about the fact that his entire college career hangs on his grades because of his scholarship.

 

**[01-22 9:42 pm] Jaehyunnie:**

I’m literally so bored i do not give a shit about pedagogy anymore

 

**[01-22 9:43 pm] Younghorangi:**

Same. like my eyes are closing

I mean i could probably like get out of bed but

 

**[01-22 9:44 pm] Jaehyunnie:**

If im bored

And ur bored

Should i come over :p :p :p:p :P :p

 

**[01-22 9:45 pm] Younghorangi**

Jae no pls

Dont even joke about it we need to study ;[

 

**[01-22 9:45 pm] Jaehyunnie:**

You know you want it big boy ;P

You’ve been so distant lately..always rejecting me…..

Did that twinky couple finally seduce you is that why you dont help me jet my juice anymore

 

**[01-22 9:46 pm] Younghorangi:**

IT’S JUST BEEN TWO WEEKS

WE LITERALLY FUCKED LAST MONDAY JAE

 

**[01-22 9:47 pm] Jaehyunnie:**

But really how’s that going

How are Taeyong and Ten

 

And Johnny almost asks why Jaehyun wants to know, what is it to him? But he catches himself and reigns in his defensive attitude and thinks about his reply instead.

 

**[01-22 9:50 pm] Younghorangi;**

Good?

I haven’t seen them since Christmas but we’ve been keeping touch

They’re very nice guys

 

**[01-22 9:51 pm] Jaehyunnie:**

Thats it?

 

**[01-22 9:51 pm] Younghorangi:**

Wdym

 

**[01-22 9:52 pm] Jaehyunnie:**

I mean come on there’s a lot more than that ? what do you mean they’re nice guys

Yeah they’re nice guys but i thought they liked you and you liked them

 

Johnny flops around on his bed and buries his face in his pillow. Why now?

 

**[01-22 9:55 pm] Younghorangi:**

I don’t know Jae to be honest with you

I haven’t thought about it a lot

I don’t know

 

**[01-22 9:56 pm] Jaehyunnie:**

I understand

Sorry i didnt mean to make you uncomfortable

Just thought this was a thing

 

**[01-22 9:57 pm] Younghorangi:**

Ur fine

I dont know dude

It’s confusing. I don’t know what to think

 

**[01-22 9:59 pm] Jaehyunnie:**

Thats okay

We dont have to talk about it if you dont want to

But if you do thats okay too

 

**[01-22 10:02 pm] Younghorangi:**

Thanks

I think

Idk i think there’s something there for sure but i’m a bit

Scared? Confused mayebe i dont know

maybe*

Taeyong kissed my cheek on Christmas when I stayed over at their place

 

And just the admission of that, sharing that memory, gets him tingling all over again. Taeyong’s lips on his cheek, soft and brief, the lingering aroma of Taeyong’s face lotion. He’s blushing so hard, it takes him some time to look at his phone again.

 

**[01-22 10:03 pm] Jaehyunnie:**

That’s so cute aww

Johnny i think they really like you

:)

 

Johnny knows Jaehyun is trying really hard to find a way to talk about this that won’t scare Johnny into dismissing the whole topic, and he’s grateful for his friend’s tact. They’re better at this in person.

 

**[01-22 10:06 pm] Younghorangi:**

I guess you’re right lol

But they’re a couple

I dont know

 

**[01-22 10:07 pm] Jaehyunnie:**

Yeah but

That doesnt mean they can’t be into you?

 

**[01-22 10:08 pm] Younghorangi:**

Yeah thats true

Yong said i can study at their place if i wnt to sometimes

Thats so nice of him but i feel like it’d be weird

 

**[01-22 10:09 pm] Jaehyunnie:**

Why weird

I think its rly nice of him like u said

Sounds like he just wants to spend time with u

 

**[01-22 10:12 pm] Younghorangi:**

Sdfdf i don’t know Jae

I guess so

We have to study!!!

 

But the seed Taeyong planted in Johnny’s mind with his offer has now been watered and nurtured to a gentle sprout. Throughout the evening and the following day, Johnny feels it growing and kindling hopeful excitement within. On Sunday, he finishes a short shift at the restaurant in the late afternoon and while he sits on his bed, a towel around his waist, he texts Taeyong to ask if he could take him up on his invitation and spend the evening studying at their apartment.

Johnny’s hands shake while he picks up the blowdryer to dry his tail, but an excited reply arrives not even five minutes later.

  


Over the next month, Johnny’s presence around the Lee household becomes a regular occurence. He’s so reluctant the first time he goes over to study in their spare bedroom, but Taeyong’s hospitality seems to know no boundaries, so he quickly begins to feel at home. There’s so much to do, there always is, so Taeyong assures him he can stay as late as he wishes and spend the night. That, too, becomes a regular occurence, and Taeyong’s New Year's wish starts to become reality.

Doing homework at Taeyong and Ten’s apartment is the easiest thing in the world to get used to, especially in comparison to the cold library with the blinding ceiling lights where you’re never guaranteed a spot in the quiet section. The desk chair is large and comfortable, the desk lamp’s glow complements that of the two tall lamps Taeyong has moved on either side of the workspace, and there’s something agonizingly domestic about working to the muffled sounds of the TV in the living room or Taeyong and Ten moving about the apartment. True to his word, Taeyong regularly brings Johnny tea and hot chocolate, sometimes even a plate with fruits and some snacks. Sometimes, he gives him gentle shoulder massages. One day he asks Johnny about his favorite candle scents and the next time Johnny stops by, there’s a candle already burning on the desk and filling the room with the gentle aroma of winter (per the label of the candle itself).

In spite of feeling so welcomed, so comfortable, so cared for, Johnny is so shy every time he asks if he could come over to study at their apartment, every time they invite him to stay for dinner or spend the night. He loves being there and soaks up the attention that his hosts are clearly more than happy to give him, yet he can’t help but feel like a burden. He’s conflicted and confused about all the care and affection he receives, out of his depth about how to really respond - he’s not _theirs_ to take care of, after all. It’s not really a pride thing - or if it is, then that’s just a tiny portion of the large picture. How can Ten and Taeyong be so casual about hosting him on a weekly basis? How can they be so lovely every time he comes around?

 

Johnny’s birthday rolls around in early February. The first snow of the month falls just the day before, and Johnny is glad. At least for a bit, at night, he gets to see the city blanketed in white, and everything seems muffled, put to rest. Even though the special day itself is on a Thursday, making it hard to celebrate beyond kind wishes and a quick but fantastic orgasm courtesy of Jaehyun, Johnny gets an extra special celebration on Sunday. Jaehyun takes him out to lunch with Doyoung and Sicheng, but because Taeyong and Ten, whom Jaehyun thoughtfully invited, can’t make it, the couple treat Johnny to a dinner the same day.

(Days prior, the two struggled with deciding what to gift Johnny for his birthday. Taeyong was lunging at all kinds of grand options, from a new coat to a new book bag to a new pair of glasses that has Johnny’s actual prescription, unlike the ones the tiger has to currently deal with.

“It should be something he needs, right? We have the means and he doesn’t, it’s only right we do that for him, right?” the kitten chewed on his lip, neglecting his dinner.

“But do we really know what he needs? I don’t know if we can assume, babe,” Ten replied, stuffing a dumpling in his mouth. When he noticed Taeyong’s thoughtful pout, he picked up some noodles from his pet’s plate and fed them between his lips.

“That’s true, we don’t wanna make him uncomfortable,” Taeyong contemplated with his mouth full. “Like we’re his benefactors or something. Maybe we should just get him something small and sweet, something from the heart. Do you think he’s gotten many birthday presents in the last few years? Probably not…”

They ended up framing a photo, a selfie the three of them had taken one night around a pan of burnt rice that Taeyong forgot on the stove. _It’s the first time Yongie’s fucked up food in forever! We need to remember this occasion,_ Ten had said, and they had all posed around the sad sight with peace signs. In addition to the photo, they sealed a generously charged gift card in an envelope in hopes that it will be enough for Johnny to make his own decisions about what he needs.)

“That envelope has a gift card in it, don’t worry about opening it now,” Ten says while Johnny inspects his presents. Next to him, Taeyong is watching carefully with a small smile, “Sorry we couldn’t get you anything more substantial. We weren’t really sure what you might like.”

It’s an excuse, a way to hopefully avoid making the tiger feel uncomfortable. It seems like he loves the framed photo, as he keeps studying it, beaming. When he looks at Ten and Taeyong to thank them, there’s a glisten in his eyes that wasn’t there before.

As they finish their food, the staff surprises Johnny by bringing out a small clay pot of the milky rice treat cats so love. There’s a lit candle stuck in the middle of it, among the sprinkled cinnamon. As Ten and Taeyong sing happy birthday to him, the tiger hybrid has the most difficult time getting his emotions under control. His heart is pounding in his chest with the sheer significance this dinner holds because Johnny’s never been treated _quite_ so special before. He can’t even look at Ten and Taeyong because there’s so much affection in their eyes that he doesn’t know what to do with himself, so he focuses on his candle and making a wish and blowing out the flame and not letting a single bit of moisture slip out of his eye.

 

By mid-February, Johnny has a spare toothbrush and a few changes of clothes at the Lee household, and even does his laundry there on occasion, per Taeyong’s offer. Taeyong is smiling and whistling to himself every time that he’s washing the sheets from the spare bed, so happy to be smelling Johnny all around their home.

Running into Ten in the kitchen seems to have become somewhat of a ritual between the tiger hybrid and the human. It’s not really “running into” when they both plan on it, but every time that Johnny spends the night, he receives a goodnight kiss on the cheek from Taeyong, then, a few minutes later, pads to the kitchen for water and encounters Ten in the dimly lit space. They start having brief chats, flirtatious exchanges which fluster Johnny and make him happier than he would admit. Ten seems to always know exactly how to get under his skin before leaving him in the middle of the kitchen with goosebumps all over and, sometimes, a semi in his pants. Sometimes it’s a fleeting touch, a sensual smile. Sometimes it’s innuendos woven into his sentences. Sometimes it’s the way he’ll stand so close to Johnny that Johnny can feel the heat radiating off his perfect, lean, sexy body. And sometimes...sometimes it’s a soft look of genuine care and affection, and that’s the one thing that gets to the tiger the most.

 

Right around the time that they are deciding on what to get Johnny for his birthday, Ten and Taeyong note that Valentine’s Day, too, is right around the corner. Year to year, they celebrate in different ways, be it a weekend romantic trip out of town or a simple fancy dinner and a steamy night in bed. The latter seems to be the more likely option this year, seeing as Ten is busy at the studio with the plans around an upcoming showcase.

“Do you want to pick a place we’ve already been to or should we look for something new?” Ten asks, an arm around Taeyong’s waist. They’re at a tiny park a block or two from their apartment. The weather favored a stroll in the fresh air.

Taeyong leans his head on Ten’s shoulder for a moment, thinking.

“I like the one we went to last year for my birthday. We kept saying we’d go back, but never did, remember,” he laughs, smile brilliant and gorgeous.

“Oh yeah, that place was so good! Those ribs you had...mmm, I can still taste them.”

They walk a few paces in silence. The air is damp and refreshing.

“Maybe we should make that our first date with Johnny,” Taeyong says quietly. “Ask him out for Valentine’s Day.”

Ten laughs, “Oh yeah, the adoption papers should be ready to sign by then!”

But Taeyong doesn’t make a sound, just keeps walking, and Ten doesn’t miss the long stare his boyfriend is giving him. The bubble of unease inside the human swells.

“I guess you’re serious,” he says lightly, but the smile melts off his lips bit by bit as their steps grow slower. He studies Taeyong’s face for the longest time, the vulnerable hope and fleeting hurt. “Baby, he’s not--”

“I know, I know, it was a stupid idea,” Taeyong cuts him off, voice even quieter. “It’s Valentine’s Day after all.”

Droplets of mist cling to Taeyong’s hair. Ten’s heart aches with how much he loves him.

Ten tries again, “Maybe in the future, right? I just...It’s Valentine’s day. Our day.”

“I know, it was not a good idea, I’m sorry…”

“No, it’s okay, it’s nothing to apologize for,” Ten pulls Taeyong closer and runs a hand up and down his side. The silence is too much, so he blurts out the first thing on his mind, thinking of the previous night when he came home to find Taeyong and Johnny huddled together on the couch and watching anime. “But that reminds me...I-- I wish you’d ask me when you invite him over, or at least give me a heads up, you know? Not that I mind at all, I think it would just make me feel better.”

Taeyong casts his eyes at his boots, frowning, torn between the instincts telling him that this is an owner’s request and therefore not a request at all, and the firm knowledge that Ten is so much more than his owner.

“And I wish you’d tell me how you feel about all of this. I wish Johnny would tell me too.”

Ten stops walking. Taeyong won’t look at him, so he studies his face, struck by his tone.

“I feel like a fool in love - which, I’m not in love with Johnny, that’s not what I meant. I just feel like I’m the only one who cares about this and Johnny is probably creeped out and just wants to be friends and you just tolerate my crush until it goes away…”

Ten can think of at least a dozen things to point out that are in complete disagreement with Taeyong dubbing himself a fool in love - from the way Johnny looks at him, at both of them, to the effort Ten himself has been putting into...wooing the tiger hybrid or whatever they’re doing. But he’s not sure that that’s the best thing to do because Taeyong knows, of course he knows. It’s just one of those times when irrational thoughts and feelings prevail. One of those times when Ten wishes he could get over himself for once and be completely sincere, but he can’t.

He takes Taeyong’s hand and gathers his thoughts.

“I’m sorry, Yongie,” he says softly. “I’ll try to...think about all of this and tell you and show you more about how I feel about it. I like Johnny a lot.”

Taeyong moves closer and lets Ten play with his hand. Ten wishes the kitten would say something, move them past this silence, but he also wishes he himself could say more; more, like _I just wish we went slower_ or _I just like him in a different way,_ but neither of those things is entirely true and they’d just take the conversation elsewhere.

“You’re not a fool, baby,” he whispers, moving to embrace his boyfriend. “I’m sorry.”

“Are you mad?” Taeyong asks into Ten’s scarf.

“Not at all. Are you?”

It takes Taeyong some time.

 

“I’m not.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts on Johnny's display name...?  
> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Rest assured Chapter 6 is in the works and will be up very soon! And I guess, yes, this is definitely becoming slow burn...
> 
> You can find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/johnxuxi).
> 
> Please, let me know what you thought in the comments! Comments are what keep authors going, show us that people are engaged in our stories, and every comment means so much to me, so thanks so much to everyone who does comment! I love it when people take the time to drop even a line, let alone ask questions and discuss the content more! It also helps me realize if I'm missing anything. I have everything built out in my head, but it's easy to forget that readers don't, so I don't want to miss out on important info!


	6. six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note the updated rating of this fic. This chapter contains explicit sexual content.
> 
> Endless gratitude to Paula and everyone who has commented in any way and has supported this fic! Your words and the fact that you keep reading mean everything!

“Just admit it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yongie, just admit it, admit for once that I made the better decision about our bathroom.”

Taeyong shifts a bit against Ten’s chest, thoughtfully and indignantly picking at the hairs at the tip of his tail. They’re in their spacious bathtub, soaking in rose scented water and allowing the stress of the week to evaporate out of their bodies. Ten teases a finger against a ticklish spot on his side and the kitten jerks a bit.

“I admit that if we’d gone with a standard bathtub like I wanted we would not have been able to do this and be so comfortable. But will I admit that your sense for interior design was even for a moment superior to mine?” Taeyong turns enough to look at Ten and take in the mirth in his eyes. “Not a chance, Mister “Let’s hang a giant painting that’s just screaming red and yellow in our living room”.”

Ten barely suppresses his laughter, “I was _joking_ that time, and--”

“You were _not_ joking! You were pulling out your wallet--”

“Listen here, little kitten--” Ten digs his fingers in Taeyong’s sides and a shriek rings through the bathroom while water sloshes over the edge of the tub and a slippery Taeyong squirms in Ten’s arms. He almost slips underwater, but Ten is forced to stop tickling him because he gets an elbow in the dick and doubles over his pet’s body in pain. “ _Fuck! Ah--_ Fuck, Yongie, fuck, fuck, why did you do that!”

“It’s what you deserve!”

Ten continues groaning and huffing and holding his junk while Taeyong chuckles.

“Can’t believe you’d do this to your favorite part of my body,” he manages through teeth. Taeyong is already turning between his legs to loop his arms around his owner’s neck.

“I’m sorry, Tennie, please forgive me,” he says sweetly, not sorry at all, and peppers kisses all over Ten’s cheek. Ten meets his lips in a kiss a moment later. They spend the next few minutes making out softly, and perhaps Ten was definitely exaggerating how much his balls hurt.

The water has started to cool when they finally part. They’re gazing into each other’s eyes lovingly.

“Let’s get out?” Taeyong prompts.

A couple of minutes later Taeyong is drying Ten’s hair and back with a towel when Ten muses out loud.

“I wonder if Johnny is a good kisser,” he says, leaning into Taeyong’s touch. “He has the lips for it.”

Taeyong giggles, ”I hope he is. If not, I’m sure you can teach him a couple of things.”

“Mmm, you’re right. But you know what, you’re better than me at like, soft, gentle making out,” Ten turns around once Taeyong is finished drying him off and picks up a towel to do the same for his kitten. “I’m sure he’d be freaked out if I used my mind blowing tongue magic on him right away.”

Taeyong giggles again and squirms a bit under the towel, thinking about that mindblowing tongue magic he got a taste of just earlier. His fluffy ears spring out of his hair the moment Ten moves the towel away. Next, Ten plugs in the blowdryer and gets to drying Taeyong’s tail. He runs his fingers through the fur as he goes, but he’s also trying to kiss Taeyong’s shoulders at the same time, so he accidentally keeps the stream of hot air on one spot for too long and Taeyong twitches away with a yelp, but it’s perfect otherwise.

Taeyong continues pondering Ten’s question as they leave the bathroom, get dressed and make their way into the kitchen to warm up leftovers for dinner.

“But you know what, babe,” Taeyong says while they set the table. “What does it even mean to be a good kisser? Like, am I a good kisser? I only know how to kiss _you_ well, in a way you like, cause I’ve only ever kissed you. And Yuta a couple of times.”

“Yeah, that’s true. I guess being a good kisser is relative,” Ten lays a hand on Taeyong’s waist,stepping closer.

“Maybe it means how well you can pay attention to what whoever you’re kissing likes.”

“Yeah, that’s something you’re always really good at..” Ten is slipping a hand under Taeyong’s sweater now, feeling the warm skin on his belly as he presses himself to the hybrid’s back.

“I do try to pay attention to what you like when we kiss,” Taeyong tries to reach over the table, despite Ten’s hold, to grab a spoon.

Ten hums and holds him back, enjoying the quiet gasp his touch elicits.

“That’s right, kitten, you’re great at making me feel good,” he drawls in Taeyong’s ear. Taeyong can feel him growing hard against his ass when he says, “Why don’t you show me what else you can do really well with your mouth?”

Taeyong gasps again, then whimpers around one of Ten’s fingers. He’s eager, turning and starting to sink down to his knees, but Ten stops him. He leans in and presses a kiss to the hybrid’s cheek.

“Let me know if there’s anything you don’t want to do,” he whispers, then pulls back, smiling. “Hold on, baby. Let’s get you presentable.”

Fingers under the hem, Ten pulls his pet’s sweater off, leaving him bare-chested, then unbuttons his jeans and yanks them down his slim hips to just below his ass. Before Taeyong can say anything, shocked into silence, Ten pushes him down to his knees.

“You look beautiful and slutty, baby,” Ten remarks, unzipping his own pants. Taeyong is still paralyzed by the overwhelming power of being so suddenly and completely exposed for Ten’s pleasure, his little cock not even half hard yet. Ten’s gaze on him is dark, full of possession and teasing sparks. When he brings his length out of his underwear and angles it towards the kitten’s mouth, there’s already a perfect bead of pre-cum pearling at the tip. Taeyong is salivating, head spinning, aching to taste.

A guiding hand on Taeyong’s jaw, Ten prompts him to open up and rests the crown of his dick on his hybrid’s tongue. Taeyong knows better than to move before being instructed to do so, not when Ten has already set the tone by making him feel so utterly vulnerable and at his owner’s mercy.

“What a pretty slut. Go ahead, show me how good you are with that pretty mouth of yours.”

Taeyong immediately closes his lips around Ten’s shaft, dragging his tongue all around it. There’s so much spit that’s gathered in his mouth that it’s wet, loud, sloppy as he moves, his chin is soon shining and he looks like a slutty fucktoy. Ten’s fingers are in his soft pink hair, caressing and rubbing at the pet’s ears. Taeyong’s eyes flutter closed and he starts to purr. The vibrations feel so good that Ten cants his hips forward without meaning to, choking his kitten for a moment. He’s moaning softly too, now, the heat of Taeyong’s mouth around him bringing him so close to a delightful edge.

“Look at me, baby. Keep it in, just look up at me.”

Taeyong opens his big, gorgeous eyes and they’re shimmering with tears which only serves to make Ten twitch in his throat. Ten brings his thumb to the corner of Taeyong’s mouth, tracing the cherry-red lips where they’re stretched around his cock.

“You’re a good boy, you know that, kitten?” Ten remarks, but he’s a little breathless, and his words morph into a moan. He brings both of his hands to cup Taeyong’s face. It’s so tender and possessive, with Taeyong’s nose almost pressed into Ten’s pubes, the kitten struggling for breath. Ten lets him pull back and bring some air into his lungs. “So pretty.”

Taeyong is blushing head to toe, ears trembling with arousal, and his own cock is leaking all over his thigh. Ten is reveling in how wrecked his boyfriend looks. Still cupping his face, he leans down to kiss his lips, then his forehead. The contrast between the fact that Taeyong is in the middle of sucking his dick and the innocent fondness in Ten’s kisses is stunning.

Before Taeyong can compose himself, Ten guides his cock between his lips again. He bends over Taeyong’s shoulder and slides an appreciative hand down his back, gently bats his tail away, squeezes one of his asscheeks and pulls it aside to dip his fingers in Taeyong’s wetness. Rivulets of the kitten’s slick drip down and soak into his jeans and Ten is so fucking turned on, his position driving his cock deeper inside Taeyong’s mouth.

“Sweetheart,” he tuts, between moans, “You’re soaked. Such a shame we’re going to have to wash you again. That’s how bad you want to be filled on both ends, huh?”

Taeyong can only moan, struggling around Ten’s shaft, eyes drunk with arousal. Ten’s scent, the taste of him, his touch, he’s flooding all of Taeyong’s acute senses and it’s in moments like these that Taeyong has only the deepest gratitude to the powers of the universe that made him Ten’s pet.

Ten sweeps sweaty locks off Taeyong’s forehead and gives him another sweet smile, “You know, if we get our way with Johnny, your fantasy could come true very soon. You’d look so pretty like this in his lap, getting filled on both ends.”

Taeyong mewls around the head of Ten’s cock and presses his eyes shut as he cums all over his hand and jeans. Ten isn’t far behind. He pulls out, delicately holding Taeyong by the chin, and rubs the tip on Taeyong’s lips while jerking himself off. With a drawn out gasp, a choked moan, he coats his kitten’s face with hot streaks of white. He’s louder as he comes down from it, panting and groaning while squeezing out the last drops right over Taeyong’s tongue which is peeking out between his lips. Few things in the world surpass the beauty of seeing his kitten on his knees, covered in cum.

Good thing they hadn’t warmed up their food yet.

 

❃

 

February 24th is one of Johnny’s favorite and least favorite days of the year at the same time. All those years ago, February 24th was Johnny’s Big Day. One most important day in a hybrid’s life - the day that he left the adoption center for his Forever Home. The day that Grandpa signed the papers and gave Johnny a little smile and waved a big hand towards his small car.

This year, for the third time in his life, Johnny observes the day by himself. He starts to get a queasy sensation in his stomach days prior, and that’s not unusual, but he knows that this year there’s more to it. He’s been thinking a lot more about grandpa in the recent months and it predicates the way grief flares up inside of him as the faithful day nears.

As has become tradition, Johnny makes arrangements to have the day off and plans his day around a trip to the cemetery in Gimpo. Every year he picks up a small flower bouquet and takes the bus to Grandpa’s grave where he spends a quiet hour, sometimes reflecting, sometimes crying, sometimes talking out loud. He likes to think that Grandpa can hear him when he recounts how his life has been changing, his hopes, his anxieties. After that, he makes his way to a hole-in-the-wall noodle shop close to the adoption center - the place where he and Grandpa had their first meal together.

But this year, in the days leading up to the 24th, he feels conflicted too. There’s guilt in the pit of his stomach, as well as a wrenching longing. Is it just the grief? Is it that he’s finally having a little more emotional capacity to allow himself to miss Grandpa? Or is it that the last few months have sparked a new kind of hope in him?

It’s all tied to Ten and Taeyong. There’s feelings crashing inside Johnny that he doesn’t quite understand, but what he does know is that he wants to tell someone about Grandpa, about the anniversary of his adoption and how that makes him feel. Someone other than Jaehyun. And if he’s being completely honest with himself, there’s only one person at the center of his desire to share, to confide, to unburden himself of this agonizing grief, and that someone is Ten.

Because Ten is an owner. He knows that bond that Johnny lost, he’s a caregiver and knows what it’s like to own and love a hybrid. ( _Owner_ is the word that chants in Johnny’s head when he thinks about Ten and how he wants to just _tell_ him all of this, _owner_.)

And what Johnny won’t admit to himself is that he _yearns_ to have that bond again, to...not to be _owned_ , but to belong. To have an owner. What he’s not ready to face is the fact that every time Ten or Taeyong offer to do something nice for him, be it to let him do his homework at their place, pay for his dinner, or something as trivial as fucking bringing him tea, his heart trembles like a leaf. That being taken care of is overwhelming as it feels good.

It all comes out the night before the 24th. That afternoon, drawn to the warmth of the Lee household, Johnny asks if it would be okay for him to stop by and do some studying in the spare room. He finds himself pulled into a gentle, nuzzling Taeyong hug half an hour later. Taeyong must sense the tiger isn’t feeling great because he dotes on him extra throughout the afternoon.

“How’s your work going?” he says while kneading at Johnny’s tense shoulders with deft fingers. Without realizing, Johnny is leaning into Taeyong and his touch.

“It’s okay. This worksheet isn’t due until next week, but it’s taking me a long time, so I want to make sure I get it done,” Johnny sighs, eyes slipping shut to the sensations of Taeyong’s hands working on his muscles. The kitten stays quiet for a moment.

“Maybe you should take a break,” he says softly. “Come to the couch, let’s watch something. I’ll warm up some milk.”

A particularly loud purr vibrates through Johnny at the suggestion and they both laugh. Before he realizes quite what he’s doing, Taeyong slides a hand up Johnny’s jaw, then plants a kiss in his hair. It’s completely innocent affection, but it’s the first time he’s kissed Johnny outside of the regular goodnight kisses he gives him, so he scampers out of the room mumbling about how he’s going to get the milk ready.

When Ten comes home, he walks into the living room to see two pairs of relaxed ears peeping over the back of the couch and his heart does some weird little flip which he only half ignores. He greets his boys and gives Taeyong a kiss before he can dwell on the fact that he just thought of the two of them as “his boys”, then asks what’s for dinner and so begins a pretty ordinary evening in the Lee household where Johnny is cajoled into staying the night and they watch dramas on TV together after they eat until bedtime.

But as the apartment quiets down, once Taeyong has delivered his goodnight kiss to Johnny’s cheek - and given him a warm hug and a new plushie for good measure - Johnny isn’t ready to settle down. As reluctant as he is about sharing this torrent of emotions he’s been drowning in, he knows it’s going to happen because he _needs_ it to happen.

He’s first in the kitchen, slowly pouring himself a glass of water and taking a seat at the table in the shadows. Ten pads out of his and Taeyong’s bedroom a moment later, saunters over to the fridge to pick between strawberry milk and iced tea. He throws Johnny a glance or two as he pours himself a glass, before leaning back against the counter.

“Well, _you_ look like you’ve had a long day,” he says, voice light. He’s, thankfully, wearing sweatpants. Johnny doesn’t think he could do this if Ten was in the various states of undress he often is in during their nightly water rituals.

Johnny wants to say something in a matching light tone, but the moment he opens his mouth, he realizes his voice is going to come out a lot shakier than he thought, so he closes it, swallows thickly, takes a sip of water.

“Yeah, long week more like,” he manages a tiny laugh this time.

“Yongie mentioned you seemed stressed out. Said he smelled it on you or whatever,” Ten says, widening his eyes to jokingly to say _you hybrids and your weird sense of smell_.

Johnny grins, appreciating the attempt to lighten the air.

“Yeah, it’s...it’s a stressful time of the year.”

“Because my birthday is coming up?”

Johnny laughs this time, glancing at Ten’s smirk, then back at his own cupped hands.

He’s mistaken to think, for a moment, that this won’t be as difficult. Sensing that something’s weighing on the tiger, Ten takes a seat too so they’re on either side of a corner of the table. Words come hard, fall heavy from Johnny’s mouth between vulnerable little smiles and glassy glances. His ears are pressed to his head, his tail is out of sight, his shoulders sag, and Ten’s heart breaks.

“I think the biggest reason why it uh, hurts so much is because it’s not how they raise us, you know?” Johnny swallows bitterly, and Ten only now notices the photograph face down on the table. “They always talk about how it’s your one end-game, your one... _destiny_ as a hybrid, you get adopted and you go to your forever family and everything is fantastic and peachy happily ever after.”

Ten nods along, listens so carefully, and it all just pours and pours out of Johnny. When the flood finally subsides a bit and Johnny lets out a long sigh, Ten is watching him intently. He pries Johnny’s big fists open and grasps his hands tightly.

“I know why you feel like you should justify your...your grief, but it’s okay to be hurting so much,” he says quietly. “You lost the most important person in your life. You went through things no one should go through. You have every right to be in pain.”

Johnny stares at him for the longest moment, then shuts his eyes tight and a tear makes its way down his cheek. He’s squeezing back at Ten’s hands so hard that his knuckles are white.

“But you’ve also made it so far,” Ten reminds even gentler. “You’re healing, too.”

“Come here,” he gets up after a minute.

Johnny gets up too and Ten wraps him in a tight, warm hug, feeling like he almost has to get on his tippy toes.

“Thank you for...letting me vent about this. I appreciate it.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Johnny pulls back a little, looks into Ten’s eyes with the most earnest gaze Ten’s ever seen from him, then pulls Ten back into the hug.

“Thank you for how welcoming you guys have been. I can’t even tell you how much it means,” his voice is so quiet, it feels like a punch to the gut.

Ten picks his words carefully. Wishes he didn’t feel like he has to.

“We care about you a lot, Johnny. That’s not changing any time soon. You’re welcome here any day, any time, whatever you need.”  


They part not long after that, cracking an awkward joke here and there to lighten the atmosphere before saying goodnight. Ten sneaks into bed where Taeyong is snoring softly, his head on Ten’s pillow. Ten gently nudges him into his arms, then spends a long, long time awake, pondering the way Johnny reached out with something so raw and personal. He ends up too frustrated over his inability to parse through his attraction for Johnny and the simultaneous caretaker urges the tiger inflames in him - likely very similar ones to what Taeyong feels.

Funny how such a big guy who’s been through so much can be so genuine and vulnerable. Funny how Ten can’t stop thinking about him.

 

 

❃

 

 

**[02-24 9:15 pm] Tyongie:**

Hey

Still up for dinner at our place tomorrow night?

 

**[02-24 9:20 pm] Younghorangi:**

Cute

Yeah! Can’t stay the night though :[ gotta get to school early the next day

 

**[02-24 9:23 pm] Tyongie:**

No problem

Come as early as you want

How are you feeling?

 

**[02-24 9:25 pm] Younghorangi:**

I’m alright

It was a long day but i feel okay

:)

 

**[02-24 9:26 pm] Tyongie:**

I’m glad that you feel better

Get ready to set all worries aside tomorrow night okay? We’re gonna have a relaxing night at home

❤

 

**[02-24 9:26 pm] Younghorangi:**

Thanks Yongie, i really look forward to it

❤

 

❃

 

“Sorry we’re staying in, by the way,” Taeyong says, stirring the bubbling stew. He’s wearing a flower print apron that wraps almost all the way around his slim body. “Tennie’s just been so busy with this showcase. We’re not even going to celebrate his birthday until like a week later. I’ll let you know when we decide what we’re doing by the way, you’re definitely invited.”

Next to him, Johnny is cutting peppers with impressive precision, the focus on his face adorable. He has a similar apron tied around his body.

“Oh my gosh, don’t apologize at all! Thank you for having me tonight in the first place! This is really...the best way to relax that I can think of. Seriously, Yongie, thank you for doing so much to try to make me feel better.”

Their eyes meet for a moment over the steaming pot and they both look away shyly. Taeyong desperately wants to kiss Johnny, but what’s new? He’s come to the realization that...he’s not hyperfocused on “progress” anymore. Spending time with Johnny feels lovely. Having him in their lives. He wants to touch, yearns for more, but he’s also...content with this pace, with every moment they get spend with him.

Once dinner is ready, they have some time before Ten is due home, so they put on the finale of an anime they’ve been watching together, huddled close yet doing their best to keep their tails from touching because that’s just a little _too_ intimate. Basking in their shared warmth feels natural. It makes Johnny realize that he’s been holding a breath, gripped by tension over the last few days, unable to relax his lungs fully. He tries not to smile too much.

The show ends on a cliffhanger that has them yelling and discussing what could possibly happen next animatedly.

“Johnny, just come over tomorrow, come on, it’s Friday night! Ten will be out late anyway, we can marathon season two!” Taeyong says, clutching Johnny’s beefy forearm.

“Oh man, you sure? I’m so tempted, but I’ve been around so much, I wanna give you some time to yourself…”

“And I love that! We love having you around, come on, please!” Taeyong’s eyes have started to widen in an expression much more characteristic for puppies than cats like him. “I’ll be in the studio all morning to help Ten out, but I’ll be back no later than, like, three or four o’clock, so you can come whenever you’re free after that! Oh, please, Johnny, I _need_ to know what happens next!”

Johnny’s grinning at Taeyong’s adorable begging and agrees easily, warm all over. Satisfied and excited, Taeyong settles back in the couch cushions, even closer to Johnny this time. They flick through the channels until they find something mildly interesting to keep them occupied. This time, they come across a hybrid-focused drama that goes easy on stereotypes about hybrids, so they find it alright to watch. A few minutes into the episode, Taeyong throws a glance at Johnny.

“Hey, do you, uhm...Is it okay if I scratch your ears?” he asks in a small voice.

It takes Johnny approximately half a second to turn as red as Taeyong already is.

“Yeah, that’s okay. See if you can find my sensitive spot,” he says, and they both laugh nervously.

The next ten minutes are easily the most blissful that Johnny’s had in a long time. Taeyong prompts him to lay his head on a pillow in his lap and his fingers quickly find a rhythm in Johnny’s hair. The kitten scratches around the base of Johnny’s ears, rubs at the rim, gives them whole palm tugs and squishes, and Johnny can’t even bother being embarrassed about how loud his purring is, especially when Taeyong is purring too. Delightful comfort and peace overtake his body. At one point, Taeyong is using both hands to massage Johnny’s scalp too. He continues lying in Taeyong’s lap even after the kitten stops playing with his ears and presses a kiss into his hair. It’s the most relaxed and safe he’s felt in years.

Ten comes home to find them setting the dinner table. He’s tired, but energetic, all sweaty and flamboyant and loud, giving Taeyong a noisy kiss hello and Johnny a hug before sauntering off to take a shower, and Johnny _definitely_ gets a split second glimpse of a buttcheek disappearing into the bathroom. What a wild household.

It starts to snow just as they sit down to eat and quickly turns into a blizzard. They watch it fall and fall in the orange glow of the city lights and the stew they’re having tastes even better, warms them just right. Despite how tired he is from work, Ten insists that Taeyong leaves cleaning up the dishes to him and Johnny, noticing the kitten’s yawns and drooping eyelids.

“Baby, are the bird feeders out?” he asks once he and the tiger return to the living room to find Taeyong curled up on the sofa.

Taeyong gives him a sleepy look, “I think...I think they are. I’ll bring them in.”

“Bird feeders?” Johnny asks curiously. Taeyong’s eyes light up despite his exhaustion.

“Yeah, I have three out on the balcony. I keep them stocked especially in the winter, but I have to take them in when it snows. Do you wanna see them?”

“Yongie is really good at taking care of animals,” Ten chimes in, making Taeyong smile shyly.

The wind has died down outside, so the snow falls gently and the balcony is mostly sheltered. Taeyong shows Johnny his birdfeeders, explains the different shapes and seed mixes, names bird species Johnny’s only vaguely heard of, even shows him a bird bath that he puts out in the summer, now tucked away in a cabinet. Ten points out that the birds also do shit all over their balcony, but Taeyong ignores the remark. The enthusiasm in his voice is contagious, the details he knows - impressive, and Johnny finds himself less distracted by Taeyong’s general adorableness than he thought he would be. As the kitten talks, Ten joins them out on the terrace and drapes a jacket over each of them.

“Check this out, by the way. See those little circles we’ve painted on the window?” Taeyong says, accepting Ten’s help in zipping up his jacket. “They’re to prevent bird strikes. Cause when it’s sunny especially, birds see the sky and stuff reflected in windows and don’t realize it’s just a reflection and often get injured flying into buildings. Our window is a balcony window, so it’s less likely, but I painted those just to be sure.”

“That’s really thoughtful, I never would have realized that was a problem…”

“Baby, tell him about what you do down in the courtyard.”

“Oh, right,” Taeyong says, excitement overriding shyness once more. He points down at the small courtyard with a couple of trees in front of their apartment building, “I leave water down there, sometimes food if we have leftovers or something. There’s strays in the area that come by. There’s actually--” he cuts himself off with a bashful laugh, “There’s cat that’s been coming by for a really long time.”

“Yongie befriended her.”

“Yeah, she lets me pet her and feed her. But she seems quite independent, so we don’t think she’d like being an apartment cat.”

Taeyong keeps talking, gushing about the cat and some other strays he’s become close with, tail wrapped around Ten’s leg, and Johnny’s beaming adoringly. He can’t help but picture Taeyong down there, crouching with his knees by his ears, in his own world while conversing with stray cats. There’s so much warmth, a volcano of it in Johnny’s belly, and it dawns on him it’s more than plain attraction. For a moment, his eyes meet Ten’s over Taeyong’s shoulder and the human gives him an easy smile like he _knows_ , he knows and understands exactly what Johnny is feeling for the lovely hybrid between them.

There’s a healthy color in Ten’s cheeks, the cold getting to them. Snowflakes grace his and Taeyong’s heads.

 

Johnny doesn’t want to leave, doesn’t want to go back to his cold apartment, but he has to prepare for his classes, so he makes his way home and collapses on his bed as soon as he gets there. He needs to shower and go to sleep, yet coursing through his veins are a million thoughts and emotions, memories of touches and smiles and gentle words. One sensation prevails - the heat of blood rushing south, and the buzzing that comes with it, and Johnny can’t help it, can’t help that he’s already dripping on both ends.

He contemplates just taking care of it in the shower, but he always gets too tired doing it under the shower spray and his bathroom is just so tiny. So he rids himself of his jeans and underwear, pulls a towel under himself and hisses at the first touch against his sensitive cock, already rock hard. He bends his knees, feeling the stretch in his tired thighs, and dips his fingers into himself. Spreading his slick over his shaft, he closes his eyes. A shaky breath leaves his lips as he begins to pleasure himself. His fingers massage his balls and his other hand rubs over the leaking tip, and he’s just so hot all over, thinking about two pairs of hands on him, stroking and caressing and probing and enveloping him in desire. He thinks about how heavenly it would feel to have Taeyong in his arms, feeling every inch of him, pushing inside his lithe body at the same time as Ten fills Johnny’s own mouth.

Johnny’s groaning and arching off his bed and he cums all over his stomach with two slick-saturated fingers in his mouth.

He comes down from it, boneless, pressing his face into his pillow before dragging himself to the shower. Once he’s cleaned up and has wrapped himself back in his covers, a special blanket clutched to his chest, he gives in to the typhoon of feelings. So much of this is new, completely uncharted territory of experiences and feelings - Ten and Taeyong have become such a central presence in Johnny’s life over the past months, and the unconditional care they shower him with feels as foreign as it does familiar.

To have a human who already has a hybrid take interest in someone who is not only a big cat hybrid, but essentially a...stray. Johnny’s been fighting so hard to keep up the wall holding back the torrent of ugly doubts and insecurities, but now there’s hardly any stopping them. What do Ten and Taeyong _really_ want with Johnny? Why would they ever want to disrupt their relationship by bringing in a stray? It would make perfect sense if they just want to bed Johnny, to sleep with an _exotic_ hybrid, take advantage of his big dick, then move on with their lives.

Except, of course it wouldn’t. Not Taeyong, not Ten. They would never do anything like that. They’re two of the kindest, most genuine souls Johnny has ever encountered, and the way they look at him, the fondness in their eyes, that can never be faked. Nor can the way Johnny turns to putty every time Taeyong touches him be ignored and written off.

Because after spending so much time with Taeyong and Ten, Johnny realizes he’s lonely. He’s _been_ lonely. He’s been deluding himself, diving into work to save up for college, then into his studies - which are, of course, just as important and meaningful, but he’s certainly been lying to himself about just how lonely he is. He’s been slowly burning out, constantly pushing himself to work harder, do more, achieve more, get himself to a stable financial spot, so he can go back to college, make something of himself...he’s barely given himself time to breathe and grow and heal. And he craves the looks Ten and Taeyong give him, craves the way they make him feel wanted. Yearns to reciprocate and let his desires be known.

But how can he really do that? What does he, a shabby stray tiger who’s been on his own for the past two and a half years, know about responding to affection? What does he know about flirting and courting and whatever else people do when they like each other?

He feels painfully inadequate because he’s never done this, has not the slightest clue how to do this. And before he can reach out and grasp the realization that perhaps he doesn’t have to do that much because Taeyong and Ten are happy to love him as he is, Johnny is overtaken by exhaustion and sinks into sleep.

  


❃

 

**[02-26 3:26 pm] Tyongie:**

****

 

**[02-26 3:29 pm] 101010:**

TAEYONG

 

**[02-26 3:30 pm] Tyongie:**

Sowwy

 

**[02-26 3:31 pm] 101010:**

At least ask for a reasonable amount, like 50-60k…

 

**[02-26 3:32 pm] Younghorangi:**

MOOD

 

**[02-26 3:33 pm] Tyongie:**

Johnny im on my way home!! Text me when ur on ur way

 

**[02-26 3:33 pm] Younghorangi:**

Ok! My shift goes till 4:30

 

**[02-26 3:35 pm] 101010:**

Yeah have fun you two

I guess i’ll just die….

 

❃

 

Johnny gets a scolding once he arrives at the Lees’ apartment. In his haste to get there, he didn’t blowdry his tail after his shower and only toweled it off which made the orange and black fur on it stick up in odd directions, still damp in places. Taeyong and his observant little eyes immediately notice and Johnny gets the gentlest talking to he’s ever received for going out in the cold with wet fur, before the kitty forces him to snuggle under a blanket and they begin their show marathon.

The Lee household feels a lot like home nowadays, with how much time Johnny has been spending there. It’s hard to miss how happy it’s making Taeyong too. The smaller hybrid is always excited to show Johnny something new around the house, to cook with him, to huddle up with him on the couch or simply have him around.

They order in and feast on Indian food, setting aside some food for Ten even though the human will probably have already eaten at the studio. Both Johnny and Taeyong find themselves nodding off on the couch during a slower episode. They’re awoken by the sounds of Ten returning home and after some fumbling around, they all get ready to turn in early.

“I’ll keep this alligator for tonight, is that okay?” Johnny points to the plushie on the bed when Taeyong pops by to ask if Johnny wants a new one.

“That’s fine by me. Need anything else?”

“No, sir,” Johnny smiles and Taeyong smiles back. Johnny turns his face and taps a finger on his cheek. A sweet kiss is delivered promptly. “Good night, Yongie.”

“Night, Johnny.”

Johnny brushes his teeth and prepares for bed. He feels happy, plain and simple. Not exuberant or ecstatic, just a quiet, light satisfaction. It’s been a lovely day. And he can’t wait to snuggle up into the sheets that smell of lavender and sleep knowing that Ten and Taeyong are just one room over.

He walks over to the kitchen, stretching, ready to say a quick goodnight to Ten to honor their ritual and get to bed. Ten is already leaning against the counter, a glass of white wine in his hand, his phone in the other.

“Hey you,” he says and his eyes are tired but twinkling when he looks up at Johnny.

“Hey.”

“Wine?”

“Oh, no, thanks. I’ll just have some water.”

Ten steps closer, right up to his side as Johnny pours water, setting down his phone. The tiger can feel how warm he is, can smell exhaustion on him, mixed with the alcohol. He gives him an easy smile, shifting so he’s also leaning on the counter, but Ten turns to face him. He takes a sip of his wine.

“Did you and Taeyong have a good time?” he asks and Johnny can’t help but notice his voice has dropped just a bit. Or is it higher? Johnny can’t quite tell, but it’s certainly making him a little hot around the collar.

“We did, we had a fun time. The second season of this show is a little boring, but I guess it’s still okay.”

Ten hums and swirls the wine in his glass, taking another sip. He’s had the kind of day that’s primed him to be in a peak mellow mood, and this wine is only making him feel warmer. He slides his eyes up Johnny’s toned body, the column of his neck, to his handsome face. God, he’s so _big_.

“How was your day at the studio? Is the showcase coming together okay?”

“Yeah. It’s fine,” Ten replies, eyes still on Johnny’s jawline. He moves even closer, fingers brushing down Johnny’s arm. _Now_ Johnny’s looking at him. “But I wished I could be home with you two. It’s been so nice having you around so much, I was sad to miss today…”

Ten’s voice has dropped to just above a whisper. Johnny can’t even will himself to make a sound because their faces are a lot closer together all of a sudden. Ten places a warm hand on his jaw and electricity zaps through the tiger’s entire body. He can feel himself leaning in.

“Thought about doing this all day,” Ten whispers and then it happens. He closes the gap between them and their lips meet in soft kiss.

Johnny feels himself twitching whole, eyes closed, only feeling Ten who kisses him again and Johnny gladly responds. Their lips slide together once, twice more. It’s tender and electrifying.

And then it’s over. Ten pulls back, just a few centimeters, a tiny smile dancing on his lips. Johnny’s eyes are wider than saucepans, his face vulnerable and affected and burning, and maybe, just maybe Ten’s heart is racing.

Taeyong’s going to kill him.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taeyong he finds out Ten kissed Johnny before him: 
> 
> THE SLOW BURN IS OVER!! or is it? :O  
> Thank you for making it through six chapters for a kiss! Please notice that this fic is now part of a series. I will be posting some drabbles about some of the other pairings mentioned in stripes, so stay tuned, I'm so excited!
> 
> You can find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/johnxuxi).
> 
> Please, let me know what you thought in the comments! Comments are what keep authors going, show us that people are engaged in our stories, and every comment means so much to me, so thanks so much to everyone who does comment! I love it when people take the time to drop even a line, let alone ask questions and discuss the content more! It also helps me realize if I'm missing anything. I have everything built out in my head, but it's easy to forget that readers don't, so I don't want to miss out on important info!


	7. seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay! The last month and a half have been tough on my mental health, so I've been taking it easy on myself. I hope you enjoy and thanks so much to everyone who has expressed support!!!

The bedroom is quiet, save for the barely audible buzz of the TV, volume almost all the way down. The lamps on both nightstands are on, but Taeyong is peacefully asleep, the book he was reading resting on his chest, fingers still curled around the corners. His lips are slightly parted, and his hair falls over his forehead. The slope of his nose, the gentle protrusion of his cheekbones, cast in soft shadows.

If Ten’s heart wasn’t pounding in his chest, he would feel it melting at the serene sight and the thought of snuggling right up to the kitten. Which he could still do and he probably should...but he has an inkling  that what happened not five minutes ago in the kitchen is not something he can pretend didn’t occur. So as much as he hates to wake his beloved feline, he must be brave and confess his sins.

“Yongie,” having shed his pants, Ten climbs into bed, propping himself on an elbow, legs hanging off the mattress. He places a gentle hand on his boyfriend’s, “Baby, wake up. You fell asleep with your book open, love.”

Taeyong stirs and his gaze sweeps the room with startled, confused, drowsy alarm, before it settles on Ten. He’s so adorable that Ten can’t help himself and kisses him quickly, before remembering the whole reason he’s waking him is to tell him he just kissed Johnny. Now he feels weird about kissing Taeyong, but he puts a halt to the overthinking train and smiles at Taeyong.

“Not asleep, I was just--” the kitten mumbles, blinking and wiping the corner of his mouth. He seems to wake up a bit more then, and he smiles. “Oh. Hehe.”

Ten is feeling guiltier and guiltier by the second. Who knew he had this strong of a moral compass?

“I gotta tell you something,” he says. Taeyong raises his eyebrows, alarmed again. “I was in the kitchen just now with Johnny for, you know, whatever nightly ritual we have going on. And uh…”

Taeyong looks confused, “And what?”

Ten purses his lips, not meeting Taeyong’s eyes, blowing out a bit of air, “Well, we kissed. I mean, I kissed him. And he kissed me back.”

Taeyong’s expression is unreadable until it melts into surprise, then disbelief, then confusion, then the first signs of bubbling outrage.

“What? You did? Wait, why? Wait, _you_ kissed _him_?”

“Yeah, I did. I was just--” Ten says, a bit sheepish.

“And he kissed you back? What did he say after?” Taeyong’s eyes are big, no vestige of sleep to be found. Just when Ten was thinking that maybe this isn’t going as badly.

“Well, uh...I kind of wished him good night and ran away,” Ten cringes, full-on sheepish by now, playing with the duvet, eyes fleeting.

 

“” Taeyong says.

 

“Yeah, I kind of just walked out, he--”

Taeyong is speechless. His face is the epitome of shock, but then a surge of anger has him shoving at Ten, “You did _WHAT_?! You ran away?! You just left him standing there?!”

Ten rubs his shoulder - Taeyong’s shove barely had any force behind it, but he _is_ a bit wounded on the inside. “I just--”

“You fucking _asshole_ ,” a pillow swoops out of nowhere and smacks into Ten’s side, toppling him onto the bed. The blows keep coming and Ten can’t help but laugh while trying to defend himself, as guilty as he feels, “I _knew_ you’d do something like this, how could you just leave him there, what, you kissed him and then got cold feet after dropping a bombshell on him like that, and how--”

“Yongie, please, this is the second time we’re starting a chapter with you injuring me--”

The blows keep raining all over Ten who’s giggling and trying to grab the pillow, but Taeyong is on his knees on the bed, pushing his tail into Ten’s face to get him spluttering and flailing.

“Who’s been the one courting him this whole time, huh? You _jerk--_ what if you messed things up! You know how much I’ve wanted to kiss him too!”

“Shh, he’ll hear you, please--”

“Shut up, oh my God, how could you just leave!”

The final few blows land across Ten’s middle and Taeyong sags back on his knees, not panting nearly as hard as Ten is. Ten tries his mightiest to hold his smile back, not sure if Taeyong would start up again. They sit in silence for a bit. Taeyong looks like he’s thinking really damn hard, various emotions flitting across his pretty face again. Finally, his expression softens a bit into something akin to a pout and he looks at Ten who does his best to look apologetic.

“He kissed you back? Was it good?” he asks quietly. The question takes Ten by surprise and he opens his mouth to say that it was ridiculously soft and sweet, but Taeyong suddenly leaps off the bed, tail swishing behind him, “You know what, we’re going over to see him.”

“What? Going over _now_?”

“Yes, now. Come on, I want to kiss him too!” Taeyong shoots Ten another outraged glance, before grabbing his sweatpants.

In his haste, he struggles getting his tail into the designated hole and buttoning the opening shut, so Ten, who was just kind of standing there, has to help him. The human knows he’s on thin ice, but isn’t sure _just_ how thin. His pet is hard to read when he’s angry, as rare as that is, and to be honest, Ten isn’t even sure if Taeyong is really _that_ mad.

“Okay, but wait, what are we going to say?” Ten says, still unsure of where the hell this is going.

“I don’t know. We’ll just-- I don’t know, put some pants on, please.”

Ten waves a hand, “He’s seen me in boxers before, it’s fine.”

Taeyong gives him the calmest murderous look and all Ten can think about is how the tables have turned with respect to sass and gazes that can pierce your soul.

Ten is still pulling the pair of shorts up his legs by the time Taeyong is in the hallway. Another moment later and they’re both in front of the guest bedroom’s door. Ten is about to try to stop Taeyong again, when Taeyong gives the door a gentle rap. Timidly, he pushes it open when Johnny’s voice sounds from inside.

Ten wants to _go_ the moment he peers inside, guilt deepening the blush in his neck. Johnny is snuggled in bed on his phone, covers under his armpits, a stuffed crocodile in the crook of his elbow. He’s peering at them curiously, uncertainly, ears perked, and even in the dim light Ten can see that he, too, is blushing.

“Uh, hey,” Taeyong says, stepping inside the room.

“Hey,” Johnny responds.

Ten does his best to at least somewhat hide behind Taeyong. The awkward tension is suffocating him.

“Um…” Taeyong takes another few steps closer to the bed, tail tucked low. “I heard about what just happened. Can I sit here?”

Johnny nods and the kitten sits close to the foot of the mattress, leaving Ten to stand in the middle of the room and stew in his discomfort.

“I’m sorry, guys, I--” Johnny starts, but is interrupted.

“It’s okay with me if it’s okay with you,” Taeyong says.

Ten chews on his lip.

The pause Johnny makes is _endless_ , _excruciating_.

“Yeah, it’s okay with me. I liked it. But I’m not sure...I don’t know how--” Johnny struggles for words, as his phone buzzes a few times on his chest. Ten wonders if he’d been texting someone about what happened earlier. “I’m just not really sure what this means. Is it really okay with you? Both of you?”

“Oh my God, yes,” Taeyong laughs a little. He seems to only have eyes for Johnny in that moment, but Ten thinks he probably deserved it. His tail has perked up, but his neck is flaming too. “I mean, do you mean the kiss? Or like...more than that?”

Oh no. The moment of truth.

“There’s more than just the kiss, right?” Johnny asks, uncertain again, eyes searching but smiling too, just faintly.

“Yes, there is,” Ten catches himself saying, why did he even say that, and Taeyong’s head whips around to give him an exasperated look, _Why are you taking this from me again?_ Ten imitates a zipper on his mouth with his fingers, and moves around the bed to sit at the other corner.

“Yeah, there is,” Taeyong confirms, voice back to softness.

The silence stretches. The room is pleasantly warm. It smells like fresh linen and like Johnny, a rich, homey smell of hardwood, of afternoon naps on a cold day. The tension seems to be draining out the door, little by little.

“I don’t think I want to talk about it tonight,” Johnny says apologetically. He’s glancing between Ten and Taeyong. His face is chiseled, handsome, open, earnest.

Taeyong nods readily.

“Of course. We can talk about whatever we need to talk about tomorrow,” he says, then acquires this irresistible pleading look. “But can I kiss you too?”

Johnny breathes out a laugh and adorable dimples appear in his cheeks, “Yeah, come here.”

“Oh, thank God. I swear, I’ve been thinking about it since the first day we saw you.”

The kitty scoots closer up the bed and Johnny sits up a little. Taeyong throws Ten a quick look over his shoulder. Any trace of his previous frustration is replaced by giddy excitement. It’s happening. It’s really, finally happening.

Their hands bump together before their fingers intertwine on top of the blankets. Johnny cups Taeyong’s face with his other hand, much like Ten had done to him, and Taeyong leans into the touch. They smile at each other for a long moment before the kitten leans in and their lips melt into a soft kiss. Taeyong exhales shakily and then they kiss again and again, savoring it, Johnny’s plush lips capturing Taeyong’s so tenderly. Taeyong’s heart is pounding in his chest, his fingertips are buzzing, there’s so much adrenaline pumping through him that he almost can’t feel what’s happening, so he’s glad that they do it again and again and again, palms clutching at each other so tight.

When they part, Taeyong thinks he must have forgotten how to breathe. Did that just happen? Johnny’s palm is still holding his face, thumb rubbing gently at his skin, so it must have, right?

Ten of course can’t help himself in a moment like that, and clears his throat.

“Happy birthday to me, I suppose,” he says, eyes innocently searching the ceiling for something.

“Oh!” Taeyong gasps and twists his whole body to look at Ten. His eyes are all wide and adorable again. “Is it already past midnight? Wow!”

Ten nods and sees Johnny smile that gentle, charming smile.

“Happy birthday, Tennie,” he says simply, while Taeyong makes it across the bed to wrap his arms around his owner. Ten manages to smile at him, before he’s engulfed in Taeyong’s tight embrace

“Babe, happy birthday,” the kitten says quietly, a private kind of tone, pulling back to place his hands on Ten’s neck before leaning down to kiss him. He means for it to be just a single, meaningful kiss, but Ten pulls him back in and a moment later their tongues are sliding together. Johnny looks away.

He only dares glance back once he knows they’ve parted. Taeyong has gone all red again, and Ten slowly tears his eyes off of the kitten to train them, intense, challenging, smug, on Johnny.

“My first birthday wish this year is to get more kisses from _you_ ,” he says, nodding his chin at Johnny whose mouth quirks into a smile, but his eyes betray his nervousness. Ten gets up and circles the bed, sitting where Taeyong was minutes ago. He wastes no time placing a small hand on Johnny’s chest and diving in to capture the tiger’s lips with his own. It’s wet, a little noisy, hot and more than Johnny was prepared for, but Ten ends it just as abruptly as he started it, tracing Johnny’s bottom lip with the tip of his tongue as they part. He laughs when he glances as Taeyong, “Close your mouth, kitten, you’re drooling.”

Johnny’s torn between being dazed by all the attention and affection, and feeling shell-shocked by how quickly everything is moving. He can barely catch his breath before Taeyong, again, asks to kiss him.

“Come here, baby,” Ten says once Johnny nods his affirmation. Taeyong straddles Johnny’s lap and gasps when he feels the tiger’s large hands on his hips, uncertain but exploring. Ten places his own palm over one of Johnny’s larger ones where they’re feeling Taeyong’s slight frame and then Taeyong leans in, another small noise escaping his throat when their lips slot together.

They kiss and kiss and by the time they part, Johnny’s palms are cupping Taeyong’s face again, holding him like he’s something precious, treasured. Beet red, they smile at each other, at Ten.  They say their goodnights soon after, and the words hang in the air along with lingering glances and smiles, hopeful promises already looking to the morning.

 

Taeyong is quiet as he and Ten get back into bed. When Ten pulls him close, ready to snuggle up and go to sleep, the kitten jerks away with a pout.

“I’m conflicted because I’m still a bit mad at you, but it’s your birthday and I also love you,” he says in a whiny little voice.

Ten holds back laughter, “You can be a little mad at me. I probably deserve it.”

“ _Probably_.”

“Probably.”

Taeyong sighs and wiggles closer, right into Ten’s waiting arms.

“Why’d you kiss him?”

A pause.

“I don’t know, I’ve been thinking about it last few days. I wanted an early birthday present. I guess I just thought this whole thing needed a nudge…”

Taeyong twists his head to look at him out of the corner of his eye.

“What?”

Ten stifles a laugh, “I didn’t think it through. Do you want me to say I’m sorry? I’m sorry. But I’m not sorry that it kind of seems to have all worked out…”

The kitten wiggles backwards in Ten’s arms, jabbing him with an elbow and giving him a facefull of a hair.

“I love you,” he says, only a little begrudgingly, when he settles.

“I love you too. Goodnight, kitten.”

“Goodnight.”

 

 

Morning comes with no sound of roosters calling - though Taeyong would certainly love that, has always wanted to live in the countryside with Ten at least for a little while - but with the strong smell of coffee wafting into the room. Bleary eyed, Taeyong lifts his head from the pillow to check the clock on the wall. Just after ten o’clock. Next to him, Ten is still peacefully asleep on his back, a hand over the blanket. His soft bangs fall over his eyes, and the delicate column of his neck, the swell of his Adam’s apple are beautifully on display. Taeyong loves him with all his heart and more.

He gives his owner a peck on the forehead, trying to disturb him as little as possible as he slithers out of the bed. Never before has the hybrid woken up to the smell of coffee while Ten was still in bed with him, and the knowledge that it’s Johnny, up before the both of them, pattering around their kitchen in all his giant, fluffy glory, makes Taeyong’s heart soar.

“Good morning,” he says, padding into the kitchen and making Johnny jump a little where he was bent over his phone by the kitchen counter.

“Hey. Good morning, Yongie,” Johnny’s smile melts from sheepish to soft. His tail perks up, as do his ears, and it makes Taeyong grin wider.

He steps closer, nodding at the carton of eggs and the jug of milk, “What are you making?”

“Well, I,” Johnny presses his palms together, drawing out the vowel, “was going to make pancakes! I was just looking at the recipe to see what else I needed, but I was kind of worried about rummaging through your cupboards. I know you like your things organized a certain way.”

Taeyong lets out a soft laugh, melting like butter on a hot cake. He doesn’t temper the affection in his eyes when he looks at the tiger, not this time, and certainly not when all that’s been replaying in his head since the moment he woke up is the electrifying touch of Johnny’s lips on his own.

“You want pancakes? I’ll make pancakes, don’t worry,” he says, voice quiet, fond. He opens a cupboard to pull out a jar of flour and one of sugar.

“You know I’m not the best in the kitchen, but I can help at least,” Johnny protests. Suddenly, his hand finds its way to Taeyong’s where it’s resting on the counter, and he lifts a pinky to intertwine it with Taeyong’s. Neck immediately aflame, Taeyong slides his own hand under Johnny’s. Just like that, their fingers are twined, and the warmth of Johnny’s paw is heavenly. This is all so sweet, so domestic, does it perhaps mean that Johnny wants to...try?

A giddy shiver zips through Taeyong and he barely resists the impulse to yank his hand away, overwhelmed by all that’s going on.

“Let me go brush my teeth and we can get started,” he says, gently pulling away. A thought occurs to him, “Maybe we should wake Ten up. Can you do that while I’m in the bathroom? Bring him coffee. He likes it with just a little bit of milk and three sugars.”

“Oh. Yeah, I can do that,” Johnny says, the deer-in-headlights look crossing his face only for a moment.

From the bathroom down the hall, Taeyong strains his acute hearing and adorable ears to hear what’s happening in the bedroom. He still can’t fucking _believe_ last night happened, but if he can get the tiniest bit of payback, he’ll take it, and he knows that Johnny waking Ten up will get Ten properly flustered. He hears soft talking, but can’t make out the words. He think he can hear some laughter too, but then Johnny’s footsteps are returning and Taeyong busies himself with his toothbrush. A moment later, his phone buzzes in the pocket of his sweatpants and he holds back a snort when he sees Ten’s message.

 

**[02-27 10:24 am] 101010:**

Wtf Johnny just woke me up and brought coffee??

I mean he’s beautiful and i loved seeing his face first thing but

Um i had some very obvious morning wood and where the hell are you!!

 

**[02-27 10:25 am] Tyongie:**

LOL is this how Johnny came into the room

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  **[02-27 10:25 am] 101010:**

I dont know cause i was asleep!! With my boner like right there!!!

 

 

Taeyong squeaks out a giggle through toothpaste and finishes washing up. When he returns to the kitchen, Johnny seems to be picking between two bowls.

“For baking stuff I usually use the larger metal one. Just easier to avoid spills,” Taeyong says.

“Ah, okay. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Do you still wanna help me?”

“I’d love to! I uh, I’ve always liked cooking with you,” Johnny says.

There’s only a trace of his usual charm and confidence in his tone, the quirk of his smile. He seems a bit shy and it emboldens Taeyong, despite how gooey Johnny’s words make him inside. In the warm kitchen, filled with yellow sunlight filtering in through the thin drapes over the windows, the kitten reaches out and traces his fingers up Johnny’s arm, resting his palm near the tiger’s collarbone.

“I really like cooking with you too,” Taeyong says. Johnny is breathtaking. Sweatshirt making him look cuddly and snuggly and even bigger than he already is. Soft and a little puffy-faced from sleep, hair and ears fluffy. Eyes twinkling. “I really like having you around. I really like you.”

It slipped out so naturally, so fluidly, but the gravity of the words hits Taeyong and his tail freezes in a rigid line behind him, blood rushing to color his face. He goes to pull his hand away, but Johnny catches it in both of his hands, and presses it against his ribcage right over his heart. He doesn’t say anything. He nods a bit, as if to say _I know,_ or _me too_ , Taeyong isn’t sure, and then Johnny brings the kitten’s hand to his mouth and kisses each knuckle.

And that’s it. Taeyong’s a goner, just like that, and thank God for Ten waltzing into the kitchen a moment later because Taeyong might have just self-combusted on the spot.

“You guys working on breakfast?” he says, placing his half-empty mug on the kitchen bar. He looks like he’s freshened up and Taeyong can tell he’s trying really hard not to be awkward.

They go about making pancakes and the air gradually expands, starts to taste more familiar as the tension eases. They chit chat and laugh, Johnny and Taeyong taking turns with the pancakes, Ten giving pointless directions from the kitchen island while sipping his coffee and looking dazzling even though he just woke up. At one point, he vaguely references the previous night and Taeyong throws him a look, spanking the pancake in the pan with the spatula in an indecipherable threat.

As they sit around the table, Taeyong can’t shake the thought of how natural it feels eating like that, the three of them together, like it’s meant to be, like it can’t be any other way.

Gradually, they all come back to themselves, to the smooth dynamic they’ve been building for months now. Johnny’s telling a story and gesturing with his whole body and then he drops the punchline and the three of them are laughing heartily. Johnny’s eye whiskers make an appearance and Taeyong can’t stop beaming at him even when they settle. He’s glancing between his plate and Johnny, and it makes Johnny blush.

Taeyong leans closer and wipes a droplet of syrup off the corner of Johnny’s mouth. He says, shyly, “Can I kiss you?”

Johnny responds by leaning in. It’s a chaste kiss, sweet and syrupy.

It gets a bit quiet after that, until Ten blows out some air and says, “Right in front of my pancakes, huh,” and they’re chuckling again.

But it stays quiet, and it’s because the elephant in the room has grown a few sizes and it’s, perhaps, time to address it.

Ten removes a blueberry that nefariously made its way into his plate and says, not looking up until he’s done speaking, “So Johnny, you said last night you didn’t want to talk about it then. Do you feel like talking about it now?”

Taeyong’s looking at Johnny with big, intent eyes.

“Yeah. I think we should, shouldn’t we?” the tiger responds, settling back in his chair. His tail curls around to rest in his lap and he runs his fingers through the fur of it absently. “I’m just not really sure where to start.”

“Well, I kind of made my confession this morning, didn’t I?” Taeyong laughs, looking away for a moment, before turning to Ten. “I kind of blurted out that I like him earlier.”

The grin that spreads across Ten’s face is equal parts amused and endeared.

“And the thing is…” Johnny says, pausing, “I...like you too. Yongie. And Ten. You too. But like...I really need some clarification here. About what you guys…expect? I’m really-- I really want to make sure we’re on the same page.”

Ten and Taeyong exchange a look, but there’s no wordless communication in it. They’re both at a bit of a loss about where to start, how to approach this, despite the million times that Taeyong’s imagined this very situation.

Still, Taeyong speaks up first, “We both like you. Uh, honestly, we’ve liked you for a really long time,” he rubs the back of his neck, smiling at his plate, before meeting Johnny’s honey eyes again. “And honestly, I think we just really would like it if you wanted to...be part of our relationship? In some ways. Whatever ways you’re comfortable with. If you want to try that out.”

It’s a coveted moment come to life, and Taeyong’s heart is pounding in his chest, even his _tail_ is sweating. Ten reaches across the table and grabs Taeyong’s hand, squeezing reassuringly.

Johnny takes a moment to think. They let him.

He sounds a bit pained when he starts speaks up.

“I just need you guys to know that, uh...I haven’t really ever done this. I mean, been in any kind of a relationship. Other than, you know, being a pet…”

“That’s okay--”

“I’m saying it because I feel pretty ill equipped going into this,” he laughs self-deprecatingly, eyes apologetic. “I don’t know how this goes! I don’t wanna mess anything up. I mean, you guys kind of...I guess you went into it knowing. I mean, we didn’t meet in the most conventional of ways, but you knew what you were doing. And I...I don’t.”

Taeyong is nodding, “It’s okay. It’s not like you’re _supposed_ to have experience with that, none of us hybrids really do. To me and Ten, it doesn’t matter. We like you as you are, and you’ve been amazing so far that we’ve known you.”

“We can take things at whatever pace is good for you,” Ten adds. He’s looking at Johnny with an earnest look that gives Taeyong so much courage and hope, that Ten is right there with him in this.

“Will you guys tell a bit more about...what things are like between you? How do you define your relationship? I want to meet you where you guys are,” Johnny after a moment, still looking pained and uncertain. His ears are so sadly droopy, all Taeyong wants to do is pet them.

“We--”

“You don’t need to meet us where we are. We can meet each other halfway, or wherever we’re comfortable,” Ten interrupts softly but firmly.

Taeyong nods, “Me and Tennie...we’re kind of so many things I’ve lost track. But I think, above all else, we’re partners who love each other and are on equal grounds. Ten’s my owner, but that’s not the only thing that defines our relationship. But we...we like you, we want you to be part of...our little unit. In whatever way you’re comfortable.”

“I don’t want to let you down, guys,” Johnny’s voice is plaintive now.

“You won’t. We don’t have expectations, babe. We just wanna try. See where it goes,” Ten says.

Johnny looks between them, trying to read all there is to read in their eyes. Taeyong offers him his free palm and the tiger takes it, locking their fingers together.

“Okay. Let’s try,” he says, and Taeyong’s heart leaps.

“No holdbacks.”

“Okay,” Johnny repeats. He’s holding Ten’s hand too now, “No holdbacks.”

And, of course, it doesn’t take more than a few seconds after that for Taeyong to fly out of his chair and seat himself in a laughing Johnny’s lap and kiss him until they’re both breathless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A visual of Taeyong spanking the pancake: https://twitter.com/PEACHGlF/status/1090451140939005954
> 
> Another update is on its way soon! My sincere and utmost gratitude to everyone who has left a comment in some way on some platform, everyone who's messaged me, and everyone who's expressed continuous support and feedback!!! Truly, it's such a huge part of my motivation, so thank you! And, as always, thanks to Paula for beta-ing.
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this chapter!
> 
> You can find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/johnxuxi).


	8. eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A MYRIAD THANK YOUS FOR 400+ KUDOS AND ALMOST 5K HITS! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has taken a moment to read and share their thoughts one way or another! And thank you to everyone who has helped me with this chapter! Here's a 10k chapter to celebrate!  
> Please note: this chapter involves alcohol consumption. All characters are of age.

Even though Ten has to work at the studio, he pushes back some of his engagements until the afternoon, so he can spend a little more of his birthday with two gorgeous felines who make him happier than he would admit. The three of them clean up the table and since Johnny has an afternoon shift at the restaurant, they decide to get lunch there before his shift starts. 

 

Taeyong is  _ vibrating _ at the prospect of spending the whole afternoon with Johnny. The possibilities are  _ endless _ ! Well, perhaps not endless, but he certainly hopes at least some cuddling will ensue on Johnny’s bed, he muses to himself while clasping the buckle of his collar. He’s not sure exactly how he feels about everything yet, still riding an incredible high, dumbfounded and elated, but the last twelve hours have triggered this surge of tremendous love and affection, like he’s got at least four of Cupid’s arrows stuck on his body. A fantastic way to express that, in addition to being three times as clingy around Ten and Johnny, is to proudly wear his collar and let everyone know he is a loved pet who is proud to be devoted to his companions.

 

The hybrids get ready a lot quicker than Ten, who has to pack some documents and think through some outfits and God knows what else. They sit on the couch, flicking through the channels while they wait, and Taeyong happily hums and purrs to himself while making biscuits on Johnny’s thigh with his little hands. At one point, Johnny reaches out and brushes a few strands of pink hair away from Taeyong’s forehead. His fingers linger, move further into Taeyong’s hair and graze his sensitive ear. Taeyong absolutely cannot look at him and burrows his head in Johnny’s chest instead.

  
  


Fresh snow packs the little courtyard of the apartment building. A few snowballs are exchanged and the suggestion to build a snowman is ignored, but somehow amidst all of it, Ten finds himself with his back against Johnny’s chest, in Johnny’s iron grip, and they’re tumbling down onto the snow, Ten’s feet kicking in the air and laughter ringing all around them. The sky is clear and Taeyong’s grinning face and snowy tail appear in Ten’s field of vision.

 

Ten frees himself from Johnny’s embrace and quickly gets to his feet, shaking off his clothes and trying to avoid his kitten’s attempts to fill his jacket with snow. Johnny remains in the snow, big body swimming in the even larger jacket, spreading his arms out and sighing up at the sky.

 

“Johnny, get up, you’ll get sick, come on,” Ten kicks at his shoe, but the tiger just throws him and Taeyong a grin and moves his arms and legs to make a snow angel. When he finally gets up, Taeyong busies himself dusting the snow off of him and his new winter hat, and then they’re off.

  
  


Johnny’s apartment is even tinier than Taeyong imagined, based on Johnny’s vague descriptions. It’s crammed, and not because Johnny has that many belongings. The walls are a weird green, reminiscent of hospital corridors, and the floor is a linoleum covered with various rugs. But despite all of that, the effort to make it feel like a home is more than clear, from the various posters on the walls, and the several awkward lamps of various styles and sizes, likely bought second-hand. A shelf with a couple of books and magazines is mounted on the wall. On the tiny desk tucked in the corner, among other trinkets and a mug and some pens and stacks of papers, are a scented candle and several framed photos. One of them is the photo of the three of them, Ten, Taeyong and Johnny, around the burnt rice. On Johnny’s bed, neatly folded on top of the comforter are two blankets, and Taeyong easily recognizes one of them.

 

Johnny welcomes them with a self-conscious wave of his arm and after apologizing for how tiny everything is, starts rummaging through a dresser drawer. He has to balance the drawer on his knee as he does because it seems like it would topple out otherwise.

 

“Sorry to kick you guys out so quickly, I just want to change into some work clothes and I can meet you downstairs for lunch? You can order without me if you need to!”

 

“No, no, you’re perfectly fine, we’ll just--” 

 

Ten minutes later, while Taeyong is trying to decide if continuing to tickle Ten’s nose with the tip of his tail is good enough payback for last night, Johnny makes his way down the stairs and sends Taeyong’s blood rushing towards his crotch and his cheeks.  He’s wearing a simple crewneck over jeans, nothing Taeyong isn’t used to seeing, but he’s also donned a baseball hat backwards, and  _ that _ is something Taeyong has never seen on him before. His orange-tufted ears peek through the special openings in the fabric, twitching as they pick up the noise of the restaurant, and sure, that’s cute, but overall, the hat transforms Johnny’s look  _ entirely _ . From sweet, charming, sexy neighborhood tiger, he’s gone to full smouldering hot predator, and Taeyong may be a mere kitten, but the part of him that isn’t quaking at the power of Johnny’s outfit thinks he looks like the juiciest steak around.

 

Taeyong’s poor little heart beats with a hundred different emotions, until Johnny looks over to their table and smiles his genuine, happy, dimpley smile. In that moment, all else falls into the background, and one feeling envelops Taeyong’s heart: love.

 

And so, lunch goes mostly as usual, with two notable differences.

 

The first difference is that Ten’s whole face seems to have acquired some kind of an uneasy glow that has his eyes all shifty and his laugh a little too loud. He can barely seem to focus on Johnny, and although the  weirdness fades as they get on with their meal, Taeyong quickly recognizes in Ten’s reaction that Johnny’s current looks are driving his owner  _ insane _ , the way Taeyong has seen only a few particularly hunky men do over the entire course of their relationship.

 

The second difference is that, well, Taeyong can’t stop thinking about the fact that just a couple of months ago he was sitting a few booths over, smitten and enamoured by their charming server, and now - now said server, said big and broad and beautiful tiger hybrid, is sitting across from him and their knees are touching and now. Now he knows what a heavenly feeling it is to kiss said server’s pillowy lips, feel his delicate touch on his body.

 

Ten wraps up his lunch faster than the other two. He bids Taeyong goodbye with a wet, lingering kiss to his lips and leaves him with some cash. On his ways out of the booth, he holds Johnny’s eyes and, having regained some of his composure, leaves a meaningful kiss at the corner of his mouth. Johnny’s ears are especially twitchy for a few minutes after that.

 

Not long after, Johnny picks up his plate to package his leftovers for later and start his shift. Taeyong finishes his meal slowly, playing a game on his phone. He has the whole afternoon ahead of him to catch up on some videos in his watchlist, finish a magazine he’s been reading, and write Ten’s birthday card. And with Johnny’s shift being a relatively short one, he’s still hoping he can get some snuggling action upstairs, if he’s lucky.

 

Johnny approaches his table a little bit later and smiles and winks at him, a tray of dirty plates in hand. His scent is so familiar by now, Taeyong can pick it up even over the myriad blending aromas at the restaurant.

 

“Want some dessert?” he asks, gesturing towards the menu Taeyong has been musing over for a few minutes, a little frown on his face.

 

“Yeah, but I can’t decide. I’m still a bit hungry, but I don’t want to overeat, you know?”

 

Johnny smiles at his pout for a bit longer, then says, softly, “You want some of the milky treat? We have a fresh batch in the fridge.”

 

Taeyong’s eyes light up at that, and widen even more a few minutes later when Johnny comes back not only with a delightful-looking claypot smelling of cinnamon, but also a plate of hotteok, steaming and fantastic.

 

“I know you have a sweet tooth, Yongie,” Johnny says, setting a clean spoon down. He’s beaming so fondly, the little whiskers are back around his eyes, “It’s all on me. You enjoy.”

 

“Oh, wow, thank you so much, I’m--” Taeyong’s mouth is already watering at the thought of the hot sugar sliding down the back of his throat.

 

Johnny tilts his head, still beaming, “You’re so cute. Wish I could give you a kiss right now.”

 

Before Taeyong can fully register what Johnny said, the tiger waves a paw and scurries away.

 

Taeyong takes his time with his dessert, savoring the contrast between the warmth of the sugar pancakes and the refreshing cool of the milky rice treat. He even experiments with it and layers dripping pieces of the hotteok onto a spoonful of the rice treat, putting them in his mouth in one go for perfect mixing of the flavors. 

 

The restaurant empties out gradually, with only a few customers remaining. Taeyong enjoys the gentle lull of the afternoon and makes himself comfortable in his booth. Jaehyun’s mom, who Taeyong has become pleasant acquaintances with, stops by to chat with him for a bit. At one point, Johnny brings him tea, and later, when he sees Taeyong yawning, offers that the kitten go up to his apartment.

 

“My shift is done in an hour and I’ll be up there with you. Make yourself at home!”

 

Taeyong nods sleepily, “I won’t fall asleep without you, I promise.”

 

Alas, a big, tasty meal is one of the best ways to settle a kitty for a nap. Taeyong fights it, trying to focus on a video on his phone, sprawled on Johnny’s uncomfortable and sort of smelly couch. But one moment he’s scrolling through search results about cake recipes on YouTube, and next thing he knows, a gentle hand is shaking him awake and there’s Johnny’s handsome face, leaning over him.

 

“Why didn’t you lay on the bed, baby, huh? Come on,” his voice is quiet and gentle, and he’s helping Taeyong to his feet. Taeyong can barely open his eyes. All he knows is that his neck is a bit sore and Johnny smells comforting. “You wanna change? I can get you some sweatpants or shorts? Hm? Yongie?”

 

But Taeyong is way too sleepy to answer, instead shucking his jeans off and slipping under the blankets Johnny pulled back, tugging Johnny’s arm. Within seconds, the kitten is snuggled up to the wall and asleep, an arm around Johnny, the faintest purr in his throat.

 

And so, Johnny has no choice but endure the lovely weight of Taeyong’s arm around his middle and watch his peaceful face. Johnny’s bed is a single, barely big enough to fit him comfortably, let alone a tiger hybrid and a kitten (as small as Taeyong may be), but Taeyong has curled in on himself  _ and _ pulled Johnny into his embrace. It feels new, and welcome. Like Johnny’s senses are full of  _ Taeyong _ , and it’s so comforting that Johnny doesn’t realize his own eyes are slipping shut too.

 

He wakes up only fifteen minutes later, however, when Taeyong twitches in his sleep. He takes a moment to relish in the serenity of it all. Taeyong’s even breathing and the little twitches of his ears, the blissful warmth of being next to him under the blankets, the way he thinks he can stay like this forever.

 

His brain isn’t as tired as his body and reminds him of some schoolwork he should take care of, so Johnny carefully extricates himself from Taeyong’s embrace and goes to find a textbook he needs to study from. He’s just located it when he hears the kitten make a tiny sound of distress, and turns to see a tiny pout on his sleeping face. Johnny tiptoes back to the bed and slips back under the covers, sitting up against a cushion he grabbed from the couch. He reaches over Taeyong’s sleeping form and picks up his stuffed teddy bear, the one his mom gave him all those years ago. He places it gently close to Taeyong’s chest, who quickly, still asleep, wraps an arm around it.

 

Resisting the urge to lean over and kiss Taeyong’s forehead is nearly impossible, but Johnny somehow manages it. Throwing the kitten fond looks every few minutes, he gets to reading one of his lessons, highlighter in hand and the cap between his teeth. And if he allows  _ himself _ to purr just a bit through it all, then that’s nothing you can really hold against him.

 

Taeyong doesn’t sleep long. Johnny is only about halfway through his reading when the world’s most adorable baby kitten stirs next to him, opening his big, beautiful brown eyes and looking around. He moves his tongue around his mouth a few times, before his eyes settle on Johnny and suddenly widen in realization.

 

“Oh my God, how long did I sleep? Oh man, I’m so sorry for knocking out like that,” he’s all embarrassed and pulling the blankets over his face, but Johnny’s just smiling.

  
“You didn’t sleep that long, and it’s okay! You needed your afternoon nap, and I just did some homework, so it’s okay.”

 

Taeyong huffs, rubbing sleep away from his eyes, “Yeah, but...Ugh. God, I’m not even wearing pants, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, do you--”

 

“I did offer you to borrow shorts or something, but you were so sleepy and determined to get to bed,” Johnny laughs and Taeyong slumps deeper under the blankets, blushing.

 

“I’m sorry!”

 

“It’s okay! I don’t mind at all. You’re  _ so _ cute when you’re sleeping…”

 

Taeyong is just a pair of eyes, blinking at Johnny above the edge of the blanket. Johnny leans down, stops a few centimeters from Taeyong’s head.

 

“Is this okay?”

 

Taeyong nods. The tiger plants a gentle kiss on his forehead, lips lingering. He sits up smiling.

 

“And who’s this?” Taeyong asks, holding the stuffed teddy bear up after stretching lazily.

 

“That’s Twinkle. My mom gave him to me.”

 

Taeyong nuzzles Twinkle with his cheek, smiling at Johnny and making the cutest tiny sound in the back of his throat.

 

“You just looked like you wanted to cuddle something.”

 

“Well, thank you for sharing him,” Taeyong says, not voicing that he would have preferred to cuddle Johnny instead. But of course, he’ll take what he can get, because what he’s getting is already precious and fantastic.

 

“What are you working on?” he asks, a few minutes later.

 

Johnny closes his textbook, a finger between the pages, and shows Taeyong the title:  _ A Brief History of The Hybrid Species: Biology and Society. _

 

“Doing some reading for a class called “Foundations of the Hybrid World”. It’s really interesting. Did you know that more than a thousand years ago there was an elite army of hybrids in India?”

 

“Army? Wow.”

 

“Yeah! I think it’s fascinating, but I’m not sure if it’s a good thing that they were used for war. I need to read up a little more about how they were treated.”

 

Taeyong makes another interested sound, settling more comfortably into the pillow. He feels wonderfully small, warm and cute next Johnny who’s sitting up and glancing down at him every now and again. The tiger talks more about his studies, his classes this semester and how they fit into his understanding of his major, animated and gorgeous. His passion bleeds through his words and Taeyong is enthralled. There’s ways to learn more about hybrids in the world! 

 

“So, at the base of-- at the foundation of understanding hybrids, everything that hybrid studies encompasses,” Johnny says, palm open and lips slightly pursed as he picks his words, “Yes, you do have to understand biology. But it’s not everything, right, it’s not just biology and it’s not just that we’re meant to be pets or companions. It’s all of those things, it’s our biology, the history of our biology, it’s how we’re viewed in different cultures, how we’re raised, what people do with us, how we interact with  _ each other _ ...it’s a very, very rich field that doesn’t have many working in it. And hybrid scholars, the few that are out there, have very interesting takes on things that humans often miss. I mean like scholars who are hybrids.”

 

Taeyong’s eyebrows are furrowed as he takes in what Johnny explained. He’s nodding a little, gaze focused on the opposite wall. Johnny brushes a few fingers through the kitten’s hair.

 

“Maybe I can go to university too one day,” Taeyong muses quietly.

 

“Maybe you can. If it’s something you think you’d like, you can give it a try,” Johnny’s voice is gentle, fingers still brushing close to Taeyong’s ear. After a minute, he prompts, “Tell me more about this showcase that’s coming up. Are you in it?”

 

Taeyong makes a thinking noise and settles Twinkle higher on his chest, playing with his paw.

 

“It’s not a very formal thing, but a lot of work still goes into it because we try to reach many people. Yeah, I have a small part, with this hybrid crew that I take lessons with, we’re just doing a short and fun performance, nothing big,” the kitten begins explaining and Johnny can tell he’s trying to downplay his part in the show, or at least his own excitement for it.

 

“Oh, really? A hybrid crew? Wow! I’m so excited for that, I’m sure even if it’s short, it’ll be amazing to see!”

 

Taeyong mumbles something shyly, and looks away for a moment. 

 

“Well, we...we’ve been practicing a lot, I think it’ll be fun. But anyway, the showcase overall is a really good way for the different classes to show what they’ve been working on, and for the studio to attract new clients. There’s, I think, eight...or nine, maybe nine performances in total, and Ten’s really hands on even though he trusts all our instructors, so that’s why he’s been so busy.”

 

He tells Johnny more about the performances and some of the instructors, what he’s most excited to see and what Ten’s been most nervous about. Johnny’s heard bits and pieces about the studio, but this is his first time hearing all about the different classes and who does what and what Ten really does as a studio owner.

 

“So you’re telling me on top of everything that Ten does, you two somehow find time to take ballroom dancing lessons together?” Johnny asks with exaggerated disbelief. He’s slumped down against the cushion, leaning on an elbow, to be closer to Taeyong as the other hybrid talks, and his countenance is so cute that Taeyong breathes a laugh and lifts his head just enough to give him a peck on the lips. Johnny plays off his surprise with a grin, but there’s an unmistakable blush spreading over his face. And honestly, Taeyong completely gets him. Will this ever stop being so thrilling? Hopefully not!

 

“We do. Tennie is good at balancing most of the time. He loves dancing, and owning the studio is a lot more than dancing, so he finds ways to balance work and pleasure, you know? And spending time with me. He’s like that, he’s a lot more romantic than you’ve seen him,” Taeyong gushes, glowing with love. “He’s so sweet, he’s really, really caring, and he can be a total softie, he just doesn’t show it often in front of others. He kinda...he likes to keep his guard up a bit,” he giggles, playing with Twinkle’s paw again.

 

“I know,” Johnny says, though he doesn’t  _ quite _ know, but he’d like to think that he’s seen through Ten’s shell of snark and a prevailing desire to always have the upper hand. He flicks the tip of Taeyong’s ear with a finger, making it twitch. “He’s a real charmer. You got really lucky, Yongie.”

 

Taeyong’s doing his signature shy wiggle, smiling.

 

“You should come to the ballroom lessons some time,” he says, then carefully asks, “Have you ever tried dancing at all? Maybe you’ll like it and you can come to the lessons with Tennie and me.”

 

Johnny shakes his head, “I haven’t, but yeah, maybe I will. You’ll have to remind me. I’d love to see you two dance together.”

 

Taeyong smiles at that. They grow quiet, comfortably so. Johnny closes his textbook around the highlighter he was using and places it on the floor by the bed, settling more comfortably so he’s leaning over Taeyong. When their eyes meet, Taeyong’s heart does a little funny swoop. It knows what’s coming. The gentlest of kisses as Johnny moves closer and parts his lips to plant them on Taeyong’s. Taeyong kisses back readily, with matching tenderness. It’s slower and more measured than last night. Exploratory, both of them taking the time to really feel what it’s like to kiss the other, again and again. Johnny’s lips are just so  _ soft _ , feel plush, delightful to Taeyong.

 

Johnny cups Taeyong’s face in his palm, warm and delicate, big against the kitten’s cheek. He adjusts his body so more of it is hovering over Taeyong’s form. Taeyong feels so small under him, it’s fantastic. He shrinks a couple of more sizes when he feels Johnny’s tongue trace his bottom lip as if in a silent request for permission. The kitten opens his mouth and lets their tongues meet, and it’s just the quickest graze, tentative, exploratory once more, but it sends a wave of pin prickles all over both of them. The kiss then returns to lips only, wet and passionate still for a while longer as Taeyong’s hands slide over the expanse of Johnny’s shoulders. Soon, it’s only gentle pecks, and they’re both smiling into it.

 

When Johnny pulls back a few centimeters, they’re both red and glowing, looking into each other’ eyes. Johnny breathes a laugh and buries his face in Taeyong’s neck, wrapping his arms around his torso.

 

“Oh, Yongie...What did I get myself into?”

 

Taeyong cuddles him right back, although getting his arms around Johnny in the same fashion is more of a challenge than he expected. The tiger is a bit heavy, but is clearly making an effort to keep his weight off of Taeyong, who pets a hand through his hair.

 

“What do you mean, babe?” he asks in concern, basking in the sensation of Johnny’s warmth all around and on top of him. It’s making the kitten a bit squirmy and tingly, but he stays put.

 

Johnny rubs his cheek on Taeyong’s neck - affectionately, not overstepping and nuzzling long enough for any scenting to really happen, that seems inappropriate at this stage - then sighs and moves back to be able to see the kitten.

 

“I feel like this, all of this, is really...familiar? Like, it doesn’t feel that new, you know? I mean, it does, but it also feels natural. Like we’ve kind of been building up to it. But at the same time...I just don’t know that I’m really what you guys are looking for…”

 

Taeyong watches Johnny’s pained face and contemplates how to respond. He allows Johnny to play with his fingers and suppresses a purr.

 

“But we’re not  _ looking _ for anything...If anything, we just  _ found _ you. We like  _ you _ , the way you are,” his voice is quiet but so intent on making Johnny understand. “Before we met you, we had been talking about how...how maybe we wanted to look for another hybrid or at least get a puppy, but we hadn’t actually started doing that. We really don’t want anything specific, Johnny. Just like you and want to be with you. A lot.”

 

Johnny considers that. Taeyong’s skin is soft under the pads of his larger fingers.

 

“Yeah. I understand,” he says and smiles. “It’s all new to me, that’s all. So what uh, what is it like being Ten’s pet?”

 

Taeyong smiles back, “It’s fantastic. It’s the best thing I could have ever asked for. He’s literally a dream owner, the most caring and loving man I could have wished for as an owner, and a boyfriend,” he gushes, but then frowns a bit, curling his fingers around Johnny’s palm. “But you-- You don’t have to be Ten’s pet, though.”

 

The kitten waits for an explanation, a clarification. He thought they were on the same page this morning for sure, and it’s getting him a bit sad that there seems to be so much to explain and go through. 

 

“Well if it works out between the three of us, it’s what he’d want, right?”

 

Taeyong doesn’t know how to answer that, suddenly tangled in a web of thoughts. 

 

“I don’t think so? I think he’d want...whatever you want?” he says, but that doesn’t sound right, there’s more to this, and it’s difficult to put into words. “Or I mean, I guess, we’re just going to see how it goes, right? And see what all of us want? Ten isn’t interested in you only as in...as a pet. Neither am I. I mean, I’m Ten’s pet, but we’re not--”

 

Taeyong sighs in frustration. It’s wildly difficult to put this all into words, since he never has before.

 

“Johnny, Ten and I, we’re equals. Sure, he owns me, but-- He owns me and I love that, but it doesn’t define us. That applies to like, formal stuff, like him paying for me and taking care of my health and you know, all of that stuff. But between him and I, we’re equal, as much as we can be. I don’t know how to explain… But it’s how we’d want to be with you. I mean, not the owning part. One day, if you want Ten to be your owner and if Ten wants that and if I want that, sure, I’m sure we can talk about that. That’s not the endgame at all for me and him. We just like you a lot. We want you to be part of our relationship, we want us to have fun together and sleep together and whatever, all the things couples do!”

 

He’s almost out of breath, hot all over in frustration, tail swishing out from under the covers. His eyes plead with Johnny to understand, but the tiger still looks pained, unsure. Gradually, however, his face smoothes out and he nods a bit.

 

“I’m sorry, Yongie. I don’t mean to be so difficult. I’m just trying to understand better, and I think I do now,” Johnny says. 

 

Taeyong feels like he’s going to explode, overwhelmed by his frustration and feelings for Johnny and, now, guilt for letting himself ramble like that, so the only logical thing to do is to kiss Johnny, hard and meaningful, again and again, then throw an arm over him and pull him close.

 

“You’re not difficult. You’re perfect, and I’ll do anything to make you feel-- to make you understand how much we love having you in our lives.”

 

Johnny holds him close and pets his back, feeling his warmth. Taeyong rubs their cheeks, their sides together and giggles when he feels his ear graze Johnny’s. He settles back on the pillow.

 

“Ten and I take care of each other. Tennie needs that because he overworks himself sometimes, and I know how to take care of him really well. I like doing that, I like taking care of others. If you’d let me, I’d love to learn how to take care of you, too…”

 

Taeyong’s voice is so soft that Johnny feels like he might just cry. All he can do is close his eyes and nod against the pillow and feel Taeyong’s fingers pet through his hair.

 

“What time is it?” Taeyong asks, a little while later. Johnny opens his eyes slowly and gives the kitten a tender, fond look before reaching for his phone on his desk by the bed.

 

“We might have to go soon?” Johnny says, showing him the time.

 

“Let’s text Ten first. He might not be coming home soon. We’re taking a taxi home, right?”

 

“Unless you want to bus. Which would be really cute,” Johnny grins.

 

They adjust themselves close together, heads leaned together, and snap a selfie for Ten, who responds shortly.

 

**[02-27 7:05 pm] Younghorangi:**

Hey! Do you know what time you’ll be done with work

[image attached]

 

**[02-27 7:07 pm] 101010:**

Well well well

Look at you two cuties

 

**[02-27 7:07 pm] Younghorangi:**

Omg!!! 

 

**[02-27 7:08 pm] 101010:**

We’ll be rehearsing a bit longer and then I’m meeting Yukhei to go over some logistical stuff

So I’ll be home maybe around 8:30?

Eat without me if you guys are hungry

Just pls bring some dessert home i’m craving something sweet

Such as the two of you ;] 

But seriously bring me some dessert

 

**[02-27 7:10 pm] Younghorangi:**

Yong is giggling over this

 

**[02-27 7:12 pm] 101010:**

Good

Also look at this photo I took of you this morning

 

**[02-27 7:13 pm] Younghorangi:**

DFGDGDDFGDF

I can’t help if i’m most majestic tiger in the world

Look Yongie napped earlier

I took photos from multiple angles

 

Once their giggles die down, Johnny and Taeyong spend a little longer making out happily, then get ready to order some take out for dinner (which Johnny adamantly insists he pays for). Bags in hand, they catch a cab and hudde in the backseat, tummies rumbling. Taeyong rests his head on Johnny’s shoulder as the lights of the city blur around them. Johnny nuzzles the kitten’s ears with his cheek and inhales his scent sneakily, shyly. He’s allowed to, now. To give in to the toasty comfort Taeyong’s scent gives him. No longer has to resist its impossible draw.

 

The drive to the Lees’ apartment is not a long one, but Johnny has nodded off by the time they arrive. He only wakes when Taeyong jostles him a bit when he has to pull out his wallet. The smaller hybrid carefully counts out bills and then diligently tucks away the change back into his wallet.

 

“Let’s go?” he turns, and to Johnny he’s the prettiest thing in existence.

 

Ten is even later than he anticipated, so the two hybrids have dinner in front of the TV. They clean up their dishes and straighten out the kitchen which is still a little messy from the morning, then Taeyong lays out dishes and utensils for Ten at the table and gets Ten’s food ready to heat up. When Ten finally comes home, he finds only one pair of ears poking out over the back of the couch and purring filling the living room. Exhausted, endeared, moved, he walks over and smiles at Taeyong’s  _ Hi, Tennie,  _ and kisses him breathless before leaning down and doing the same to Johnny who is laid out in Taeyong’s lap.

 

Johnny sleeps over that night, and little changes about their evening routine. Ten nods off on the couch almost as soon as he finishes his dinner and sits down to watch a movie with the hybrids, and Johnny follows him soon after, not having had a proper cat nap. Taeyong, stretched out over both of their laps, makes sure the blanket covers all three enough, purrs soothingly for them and watches a little more of the movie, before waking them to go to bed. He tucks Ten in first, then Johnny, then relaxes into the mattress and pulls Ten’s arm around his waist, sighing in content. 

 

His body buzzes with all that transpired throughout the day, one of the most amazing days of his life, but he readily closes his eyes and goes to sleep knowing that many more like it are ahead.

 

❃

 

In just the span of two-three weeks, Johnny’s presence in Taeyong and Ten’s lives becomes a dozen times what it used to be. 

 

Johnny’s schedule is all over the place with his shifts at the restaurant and his classes, and it’s often easier for him to sleep at his own apartment, but as often as he can, any night it’s not imperative for him to stay at his own place, he’s at the Lees’ apartment. Ten and Taeyong  _ love _ it, of course, as much as Johnny himself loves it, the warmth, the coziness, the way he’s always welcomed and there’s always a warm meal for him, the big bed with the heavenly mattress where Johnny can spread out in all his big cat largeness, the affectionate smile Taeyong always gives him, the twinkle in Ten’s eyes whenever Johnny catches his gaze. 

 

Johnny’s toothbrush permanently lives in the bathroom now. Two of the drawers of the dresser in the guest bedroom have been emptied out of whatever junk Ten was hoarding in them and are occupied by some spare clothes of Johnny’s. Taeyong installs a cork board above the desk, for Johnny’s convenience, and on his grocery trips (on which Johnny has already accompanied him and Ten once, to the kitten’s delight) Taeyong begins to buy double the amount of milk he usually gets. By no means is it the appropriate time in their relationship to offer Johnny financial help, but Ten and Taeyong hope that at least treating Johnny to dinner any chance they have - sometimes even packing a lunch for him - is some relief to the tiger’s wallet.

 

As Ten gets busier and busier at the studio, more and more he looks forward to the respite home provides, from all the strain and stress of work. He looks forward to the nights when he comes home to find Taeyong and Johnny in various locations around the kitchen or the living room, cuddling or watching TV or busy doing something else or, on one occasion, making out in an armchair and adorably jumping apart when Ten entered the room. Without fail, dinner is waiting for him, or if he’s already eaten, then Taeyong is ready to mix him a drink or purr the stress away in his lap. Lately, Ten’s even gotten a lovely back massage from Johnny on two occasions.

 

He’s similarly looking forward to the nights when he gets to spend some quiet time with his kitten. He tries not to think of it as “alone time” with Taeyong, as he’s well aware of how that casts Johnny as an “other”, but he also knows that however this turns out between the three of them, it’s perfectly normal and probably recommended for them to have one-on-one time with each other. He’s just a little too busy to figure out the best way to balance that for now.

 

But really, the moments that have the greatest impact on all three, that deepen the bond between them and craft layers to their relationship, are the moments they all spend together. Sometimes they cook together, other times they quietly work together, each on their own thing, in various positions on the couch and floor in front of the TV. Sometimes they’re in each other’s laps, other times they pull up a long ottoman and all rest their feet on it. Ten has taken to bringing some of his lightest office work home, so he can spend more time with Johnny and Taeyong when he can, while Johnny does homework and Taeyong works on one of his hobbies or reads. Taeyong’s absolute favorite moment of the last few weeks was when, for once, it was Ten who was sandwiched between the hybrids on the couch as the three watched the evening news. He had his short arms around both of them and was scratching their ears and petting their heads so expertly that they had to turn the volume of the TV up to hear over all the purring and rumbling ( _ It’s like getting a massage from both sides _ , Ten notes). 

 

With how well everything’s going, Taeyong can hardly contain his happiness. Not only is he jovially cooking and cleaning even more than usual, but it’s also like he’s found new inspiration for his hobbies too, and he’s  _ glowing _ , day and night, falling asleep with a smile every evening and waking up with unrestrained excitement for the new day.

 

Taeyong’s happiness also translates into higher levels of possessiveness, and it’s adorable. He dotes on Ten and Johnny twice as much as he normally would, and his desire to scent and mark his territory has skyrocketed. He even takes the big bold step of asking Johnny if it’s okay to scent him - to which Johnny, wetness in his eyes, readily agrees,  _ only if you let me do the same _ . They wear each other’s scents bursting with pride and Ten, who can’t physically experience the importance of scenting, takes comfort in the knowledge that he, too, has been scented by both and any and all hybrids he encounters will know that.

 

Similarly, Johnny’s urge to scent, having lain dormant for quite a while, also comes back. One night he and Jaehyun are at the University gym for their semi-regular workouts, and as they help each other out and complete their sets of pull ups and squats and deadlifts, sexual tension starts to buzz in the air between them, as it often does when they’re at the gym. This time is a bit different because Johnny hasn’t been able to shut up about Taeyong and Ten and all the great time they spend together and how much it means to Johnny and how lovely they both are and, also, how hot. Still, he can also hardly stop eyeing Jaehyun and Jaehyun’s toned form and bulging arms and he knows Jaehyun feels the same way about him.

 

So they take quick showers and head to Johnny’s apartment, picking up condoms on the way. Johnny’s reasoned about this in head a lot - he and Ten and Taeyong haven’t agreed on anything exclusive. Johnny’s shared, although somewhat offhandedly, that he and Jaehyun are indeed sexually involved on occasion, which Taeyong wasn’t surprised to hear and did not object to, and neither did Ten. Jaehyun did the same dance around the issue that Johnny did months ago, when Jaehyun made it official with Doyoung. Ultimately, between Johnny and Jaehyun, it was pretty clear that neither wanted to stop messing around - at least for now.

 

That night, it feels urgent with need, a little more rough than usual, fast and satisfying, messy kisses, muffled groans, skin slapping skin as Jaehyun slams into Johnny and mouths at one of his nipples.  _ Jae, touch me, touch me,  _ Johnny pleads, voice so tight, and Jaehyun manages some kind of limb coordination to jerk off Johnny’s thick cock messily while continuing to move inside of him, and at that point Johnny feels like he’s going to burst with all this pent up energy, all this affection and happiness and desire that’s been gathering in him, and he pulls Jaehyun so close on top of him, to really feel him, and holds him close through his powerful orgasm while hot cum spills all over his abs.

 

Just a few long minutes later, Jaehyun collapses next to Johnny and the tiger can feel cum dripping down his inner thigh, and he takes a deep breath and realizes that he must have scented Jaehyun in his frenzy. He explains it to Jaehyun sheepishly and the next day sends Doyoung an apologetic text.

 

❃

 

The Friday before the showcase, Ten can take a breather at last and decides to finally celebrate his birthday in the most relaxing way possible: surrounded by friends at a funky club, music blaring all around him, and alcohol flowing down his throat (with some measure. hopefully.). 

 

A small group of Ten and Taeyong’s friends are coming - the Wongs, hybrids included, Yuta, and a couple of girls from the studio - and Taeyong has the brilliant idea to invite Jaehyun and company too. Johnny is reluctant, doesn’t want it to be weird since Ten and Taeyong have only bumped into Jaehyun, Doyoung and Sicheng a handful of times since that Christmas concert. But Ten dismisses the concern, saying it would be a great time to get to know them better.

 

“Wow,” Taeyong says, walking into the bedroom where Ten is adding finishing touches to his eyeliner. His owner’s ears gleam with the reflection of all his piercings and he looks irresistible in a tight black vest topped with a blazer. “You look incredible. Can’t wait to take this all off of you later.”

 

Ten snorts as Taeyong steps up to his side and places his hands on him. 

 

“I’m getting drunk, babe, you know there’s no way I’m gonna get it up when we come home,” he says and Taeyong snickers. He kisses behind Ten’s ear, breathing in the aroma of his perfume. It’s too strong of a synthetic smell and it irritates his nose a bit, but the kitten can live with that, makes sure to mix it with his own scent. No way is he letting his owner go to a club unscented and unmarked.

 

“But you look delicious too,” Ten adds, turning to wind his arms around Taeyong’s neck. 

 

His fingers play with Taeyong’s hair while he takes Taeyong’s outfit in - the skinniest jeans one can imagine, and a flimsy, loose black chiffon button down, glittery and gorgeous, leaving little to the imagination and displaying Taeyong’s pierced nipples beautifully. Around Taeyong’s neck, partially covering a trail of red hickeys, is his black collar, inlaid with a sparkly stones and adorned with a small tag that bears both his and Ten’s names.

 

Happiness, giddy, lovely happiness seizes Ten all at once, and he kisses Taeyong hard. Things are just so  _ good _ in his life these days. Yeah, work is stressful and there’s a lot to worry about, but he’s doing what he loves, and at this moment, he’s  _ holding _ in his arms the one who he loves the most. And, giving credit where  credit is due, Ten is more than excited to see another gorgeous feline in just half an hour; Johnny, who’s been throwing so much light and new, exciting sparks into Ten’s life, Johnny, who’s been instructed to dress at his sexiest and meet them at the club. The part of Ten’s brain that resides in his dick is disappointed that he’s missing the opportunity for some club-inspired sexy first times with Johnny by getting smashed, but he’s sure it’ll be a good time regardless.

 

It’s not a warm spring night by any means, so when they get out of the cab in front of the club, Ten has to try pretty hard to suppress his shivers. He’s about to inconspicuously make a beeline for the club doors when a black Audi pulls up to the curb and none other but Jaehyun steps out of the back seat. He’s barely out on the curb before a man flies out of the driver’s side door.

 

Taeyong and Ten share a glance and take a step closer.

 

The man who was apparently driving the sleek Audi opens the passenger side door.

 

“Jae, you should’ve waited, come on, you know know much joy it gives me to hold the door for you guys!” he says in a slight whine, now holding the door open for Doyoung who emerges from the front seat. 

 

“Yeah, Jae, why can’t you indulge Kun for once?” Doyoung says and Jaehyun rolls his eyes.

 

The man - Kun - closes the passenger door and holds the back door while Sicheng climbs out. The three of them, Sicheng, Doyoung and Jaehyun, look flashy and handsome and Ten is  _ impressed _ and loving it, and the fact that someone  _ drove  _ them to the club in this sleek black--

 

But his train of thought is brutally derailed and the breath punched out of his chest when Johnny steps onto the curb and straightens up in all his Large Tiger glory. Next to Ten, Taeyong is similarly rendered speechless.

 

Johnny’s smiling nervously, with a hint of excitement, and he meets Ten and Taeyong’s eyes and he waves, and how  _ dare _ he wave so casually, how  _ dare  _ he pretend like he doesn’t know that he is the sexiest man in the world, in his leather jacket and flower print shirt, the glint of several rings in his orange-tufted ear, and the impossibly tight black jeans, a rip or two close to the knee. I mean, how in the hell does he think it’s in any way, shape or form okay for him to materialize in jeans so tight they look like they’ll burst around his strong, powerful, phenomenal thighs? And why are his boots so big? Why are his feet so big? What does that mean? Does it mean anything? Hopefully it means something, but not  _ that  _ big!

 

“Oh, did you guys just get here too?” Doyoung asks, straightening out his jacket. Jaehyun reaches over and brushes a strand of hair out of his forehead and Ten doesn’t miss the quietly, fondly annoyed expression on Sicheng’s face - and, same, really, but this is  _ not  _ what everyone should be focusing on-- 

 

“Y-yeah,” Taeyong manages. Ten throws an arm around his waist for emotional support. The visibly affected glances Johnny is giving them both, eyes scanning them head to toe, make Ten feel a little better, but still...the fucking  _ leather jacket _ . Did he always have this? Why hasn’t he worn it before? And why is his hair so perfectly gelled up and his lips redder than usual? What did he do to them to make them look ten times more kissable than usual? 

 

“Okay, guys, make good choices, okay? Have fun and be smart,” Kun says, hands clasped together. He’s a handsome man too, Ten notices, a bit older than all of them, but no less elegant. Ten’s eyes are drawn to a pair of perky, fluffy black ears in his blond hair. They’re round and soft-looking, and Ten recognizes them as characteristic of a bear species.

 

Before he can turn to ask Taeyong, his kitten whispers in his ear, “Panda. He’s a panda hybrid.”

 

“Ten, Taeyong, this is Kun, he’s my parents’ hybrid,” Doyoung introduces, gesturing between them. The three of them bow and Kun’s pleased smile gets bigger.

 

“One of my formal roles is to be a bit of a dad to these guys when Mr. Kim isn’t around,” he says all too proudly.

 

“Yep. And as a dad, off you go,” Doyoung attempts to turn Kun by the shoulders.

 

“Are you coming in, Kun? You should join us!” Taeyong says, but Kun is already waving his hands.

 

“No, no, not at all, but thank you for inviting me! I’m only here to keep these guys safe,” he says. No amount of polite but genuine prodding convinces him to stay. 

 

Instead, he gives everyone he drove a long, gentle hug, wishing them a good night. His hugs seem to be the kind that leave you feeling warm and fuzzy and loved. What makes it even better is that Kun’s own ears and fluffy white tail flutter every time he pulls someone into his embrace. Even Ten is too endeared and forgets, for just a moment, how criminally hot Johnny is.

 

“Call me when you guys are ready for me! I’ll be here within five minutes,” Kun says, getting back into that shiny Audi and driving off.

 

Johnny steps closer, a hand on Taeyong’s arm.

 

“Hey. You both look...spectacular,” he says, shaking his head, then drops a kiss to Taeyong’s lips. When he tries to do the same to Ten, the human turns away slightly, a petulant look in his eyes. Johnny pulls back, puzzled.

 

“You’ve got some explaining to do, about this outfit,” Ten says, and it takes Johnny a moment, but then he’s giggling and so is Taeyong, and Johnny cups Ten’s face and gives him nice, long kiss.

 

Turning back towards the club, Ten is suddenly all too aware of the thumping bass - and ready to seize the night.

  
  


Seizing the night, Johnny finds out, for Ten and Taeyong means shots, twinky cocktails and barely inhibited ways of enjoying the music.

 

“Yes, a cosmopolitan for me, a chocolate martini for him,” Ten shouts over the music to the hunky music. He, Taeyong, Yukhei and Jungwoo are already a shot in, having picked those up at the bar first thing, but Ten is a man on a mission and that mission is to get pleasantly wasted. ”And can we get two more raspberry vodka shots, please?”

 

“Make that six more shots, four for us here and I’ve got his, all of their drinks actually, yeah, put everything he just ordered on me,” Yukhei shouts, way louder than he really needs to, and winks over at Ten, then at Mark who’s giving him a nervous grin. Yukhei appears to have - unnecessarily - pre-gamed, but no one holds it against him, given the kind of week both he and Ten have had at work. 

 

The new round of drinks arrives while Taeyong attempts to catch up with Sicheng over the boom of the music (and to avoid staring at Johnny). Amusingly, Yuta, who arrived just as they were getting seated at their booth, had at first given Sicheng a very affected look that made the hybrid adorably flustered. He seems to have recovered from his initial reaction to Sicheng’s undeniable beauty and is now clinking shot glasses with Jaehyun.

 

“Come on, babe, this one’s for you! Just one!” Ten shoves a shot glass in Taeyong’s hand.

 

It takes little time for the alcohol to warm everyone up and get Ten feeling like he’s  _ really _ letting loose, for the first time in a while. Around the booth, everyone is enjoying themselves and acquiring a healthy, pleasantly-buzzed glaze. His chocolate cosmopolitan finished, Taeyong joins Yuta and Wheein, another instructor from the studio, on the dancefloor. It’s a rather sexy song spilling from the speakers and the way the three move with each other is enough to elicit loud hoots from their friends’ booth. The loudest reaction is Ten’s, and he wastes no time making his way over to them as soon as the song is followed up by an even sexier one. Lots of gratifying grinding follows, shameless and electrifying, letting everyone know just what the four are capable of, and if Ten holds Johnny’s eye with an intense challenge while Taeyong moves sensually in his arms, can you really blame him?

 

“That’s right! He was on some Disney Channel show years ago,” Jungwoo is saying when the four of them return to the booth. Yukhei’s large frame is comically plastered all over him. “And look at him now - producer Zhong Chenle, CEO of his own label and China’s biggest hybrid rising star!”

 

“Another win for the felines,” Johnny says, shrugging, palms spread, and everyone laughs. He throws his arm around Taeyong when the kitten slots himself next to him. He looks between Taeyong and Ten, “That was hot! I knew Ten is like, the best dancer in the world, but you were incredible too, Yongie!”

 

Ten smirks and simply reaches over Taeyong, holds the tiger by the chin and gives him a filthy kiss.

 

More rounds of drinks arrive along with some fancy snacks. Johnny has been nursing a gin tonic, but succumbs to pressure from around the table and suddenly has two shots in front of him, while Jaehyun observes with amusement, knowing exactly how low his tolerance is. Taeyong is happily purring while sipping his strawberry-lychee mojito - this one, with hybrid-friendly catnip based rum. He’s mellowed out and already starting to slur his words, and another drink later, begins to hang off of everyone he talks to, until he finds a comfortable seat in Johnny’s lap.

 

“He’s really warm,” Johnny giggles, telling Ten who laughs too hard at that.

 

The later it gets, the more the unspoken sexual energy between the three grows. It’s just a little bit awkward to everyone around the booth, but who can really hold it against them? Ten eagerly sucks on Taeyong’s cream streaked fingers after blowing out the candles on his cake, and Taeyong insists on feeding Johnny strawberries and it’s all around a fantastic time because everyone is screaming to the ultra-popular song blasting through the club.

 

“What’s next, guys, blowjob shots?” Doyoung laughs from Jaehyun’s lap, and he’s absolutely joking, but Ten freezes like his world has just been flipped on its head.

 

Not five minutes later, a cluster of shot glasses with whipped cream spilling over the rims appears in the middle of one of the tables.

 

“Hold on, you gotta do it hands-free! You have to lift it with your mouth only,” Jungwoo waves a hand when Donghyuck raises his glass.

 

“Yeah, babe, show them how you do it with your mouth only!” Yukhei cackles next to him and his husband accepts the challenge with zero amount of chagrin.

 

Yukhei starts clapping his giant hands. Across the table, Doyoung appears intrigued, eyeing his own shot, still in Jaehyun’s lap. But all attention turns to Ten when he lets out a high-pitched mixture of a squeal and cheer and elbows his two men to make sure they’re looking. A glistening sheen of sweat covers his flushed neck and his eyeliner is a bit smudged, his hair just slightly out of place. His tongue pokes out for a second before he closes his lips around the shot glass and downs it. The bob of his Adam’s apple mesmerizes both Johnny and Taeyong.

 

By the time it’s almost time to go home, Taeyong is back in Johnny’s lap, even more mellow and soft, leaning on his shoulder and scenting him happily while he listens to Ten, surprisingly sappy when drunk, tell Jungwoo all about how he could never do the showcase alone, without Yukhei, and how Yukhei is his other half at work and runs the whole place, so Ten can focus on the fun parts. Yukhei glows red and proud and keeps interrupting, until the two are shouting praises at each other.

 

Johnny plays with Taeyong’s tail while Taeyong, now four twinky catnip cocktails in, plays chopsticks and thumb wars with an equally wasted Mark. Hyuck watches them, swaying, and makes fun of them loudly, but is hiccuping himself, and Johnny giggles at their antics, redness high in his cheeks.

 

The music is a little quieter later and a lot of their friends have gone. Taeyong wobbles off to the bathroom, accompanied by a more stable Sicheng, and Ten is relaxed into the cushions, eyes closed, waiting for everything to stop spinning. Next to him, Johnny has his hand on Ten’s thigh while talking to Jaehyun and Doyoung. 

 

“Kun just said he’s five minutes away,” Ten hears Doyoung say a minute later. He opens his eyes and sees Johnny chewing on a mini-pretzel from the bowl of trail mix nearby. He’s so handsome. So big, so gentle. His orange tail is laid right by Ten’s thigh and Ten really wants to run his fingers through the fur.

 

“Hey,” Ten says, sitting up. “You’ve got a bit of...some crumbs.”

 

Before Johnny can quite understand what Ten is talking about, the human reaches out and brushes pretzel crumbs off the front of Johnny’s jeans, crumbs that have so conveniently landed in the crotch area. Ten’s hand doesn’t linger, but a point has certainly been made. 

 

“All these nuts, huh?” Jaehyun says, nodding at the trail mix, and Doyoung erupts in laughter. Ten sinks back into the cushions until Taeyong and Sicheng return from the bathroom and it’s time to leave.

 

They spill out the doors into the crisp air which serves to sober them up a bit.There’s a large puddle in the tiny yard space, and Taeyong insists that, instead of walking around it, Johnny must absolutely carry him over it. And Johnny obliges, in what world would he ever say no that? He picks the kitten up bridal style and nuzzles his face with one furry ear while he carries him to their cab, spurring giggles out of Taeyong and a mixture of giggles and whines from Ten.

 

Taeyong passes out immediately as the car starts moving, nestled against the door. Ten nods off for a bit too, but he’s sobering up bit by bit, and wakes up when they’re almost at their apartment building.

 

“Why do you giggle like that?” he says, nodding at Johnny who’s grinning at his phone.

 

“Like what?” Johnny whispers, suddenly self conscious. 

 

“Just...so adorable. Like  _ hehe-hehe, _ ” Ten imitates. That gets Johnny giggling again and Ten chuckles too and Johnny looks away grinning, blushing. A few moments later, Ten gently lays his head on Johnny’s shoulder.

 

They get Taeyong to the master bedroom and Ten helps him out of his clothes and collar while Johnny fetches a glass of water. The tiger comes back to find Ten sitting on the edge of the bed and stroking Taeyong’s cheek with the tips of his fingers. There’s so much love in Ten’s expression, in the kiss he presses to Taeyong’s cheek. It gets Johnny’s heart racing, with what, he doesn’t know either. Johnny hesitates after setting the glass down on the nightstand, but oh hell. He places a hand on Ten’s shoulder, leans down and kisses Taeyong’s forehead, then the crown of Ten’s head. His heart is still hammering, especially at the soft look Ten gives him.

 

A few minutes later, they meet in the kitchen, as is custom by now. They’re both still somewhere between “drunk” and “tipsy”, but at least Ten’s exited the “wasted” stage.

 

“Let’s make this quick, I’m about to black out on the spot,” Ten states, strutting, with far less grace than he thinks, over to an open pack of oreos on the counter.

 

Johnny snorts, looking through the fridge. He grabs a yogurt drink and faces Ten with a mischievous flame in his eyes. A smirk starts to form on his lips as he holds the bottle at crotch level and shakes it a good few times, up and down, up and down, holding Ten’s gaze, before twisting the cap open.

 

“Uh,” Ten splutters. “I have to go.”

 

He sways, gyrates and starts to walk out, but Johnny reaches out and catches his elbow.

 

“Wait! Sorry! Sorry, I just-- felt like getting back to you. For earlier.” 

 

His eyes are about as glazed over as Ten’s, and it’s all just so much, Ten feeling like he really might faint on the spot. Johnny saves him and presses their lips together in a sloppy, uncoordinated kiss. It goes on for a bit and then, seeing that Ten is having a lot of trouble walking in a straight line, all sleepy and noodly and small, Johnny picks him up and carries him to the bedroom and sets him down very reluctantly. 

 

He helps Ten into bed, to Ten’s vague embarrassment. When he turns to walk out, Ten stops him and says something unintelligible, before scooting closer to Taeyong and patting the mattress next to him. Too tired to hesitate or argue, Johnny melts a little on the spot, then gets under the covers.

 

The three of them sleep through the night like babies. 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! The biggest thank yous to Paula, for always critiquing my writing, as well as to everyone who has taken time to talk to me about Stripes and share their thoughts, as well as endure my urge to share spoilers! Your support and encouragement mean everything and keep me going!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> You can find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/johnxuxi) where I share too many cat memes and say they look like stripes characters as well as share occasional extra headcanons about the fic!


	9. nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're back!

“Oh, fuck. Yeah...ah, ah, yes, there, right there,” Ten’s breath hitches in his throat, then whooshes out in a pleasured sigh laced with a moan. “That’s so good, don’t stop, ah, yes. Fuck-- A little harder-- ohhh. Mmm, you’re so good…”

Ten’s breathy voice, his groans and sighs fill the room while his body feels lighter and lighter, floating atop the waves of pleasure and relief flowing through him. On top of him, Johnny shifts his weight and shakes his hair out of his eyes.

“Johnny, fuck-- Oh God, yeah, right there, just a little-- oh, no, you had it! That was it, could you feel that? Right where your thumb passed left to right, isn’t it a really tense spot? It feels all sore and tight. Try just your thumb, oh my God, that’s just it…" 

“Good?” 

“Yeah…”

“Yeah, you feel good, baby?”

“Mmmmhm….”

Ten melts into the bed even more, pinned under Johnny’s delightful weight. He twitches every now and again, in between moans that are a little less than innocent, when Johnny’s fingers pass over a sore spot. They’ve been at it for some time now and Ten feels like all the tension his body bottled up throughout the week is draining out under Johnny’s skilled hands. He thinks he’d probably be purring if he could, given how good Johnny has gotten at giving him massages.

Palms sliding over his back in measured curves, digging in at all the right spots, thumbs pressing into sensitive knots along his spine and up to his shoulders. At Ten’s neck, Johnny brings his palms closer and rubs gentle circles with his thumbs, so soothing and blissful. Ten lets out a long, contented hum. Johnny leans his body closer and presses tender kisses into Ten’s hair. He moves his hands away and plants more kisses along the slope of Ten’s neck and shoulder. His breath ghosts over Ten’s skin. The human can hear every inhale and exhale, so close, so comforting.

While Johnny warms up some more lavender scented massage oil between his hands, Ten thinks about how it’s certainly be lovely if Johnny, too, was shirtless. What a sight they must be - Ten bare and lean under Johnny’s large frame, his big, strong hands working on Ten’s muscles, veins standing out here and there… Where is Taeyong and why isn’t he here to witness this?

It’s honestly a bit surprising that Johnny isn’t shirtless. These massages he’s been giving Ten have turned into a bit of a push and pull, a game of teasing to see who would give in first one way or another. Just today, Johnny’s already pressed his crotch into Ten’s ass a handful of times, enough that Ten doesn’t even react to it anymore. For the briefest of moments, he imagines what it’d be like if Johnny just yanked his sweats down and - _God_ , he shivers just thinking about it - spread him open with those big hands of his and buried his tongue in Ten’s ass. That thought alone sends a zap through Ten’s whole body, so he just takes a deep breath and tries not to rut against the bed.

Mercifully, Taeyong skips into the room just then and throws himself on the bed next to Ten and Johnny. He’s adorable, fantastic, and licking what looks like powdered sugar off his fingers. Johnny did bring donuts.

“Johnny, you’re home all day, right?”

As usual, Johnny’s heart skips a beat when Taeyong implies that the Lees’ apartment is Johnny’s home, too.

“All yours, all day,” Johnny replies, wiping his hands on a towel. “I’ll stay the night too, I brought my books, so I can catch up on homework later.”

Taeyong makes a cheerful sound, waving a little fisted paw into the air, and Ten beams at his adorableness. His shirt has ridden up a little, revealing a sliver of soft skin and a sparse patch of brown hairs leading away from his belly button. Johnny unstraddles Ten with a pat to his ass.

“Watch out!” he says, but before anyone can react, he’s pounced on Taeyong, digging his fingers into his ribs and burying his face into his tummy. The kitten doubles over him with choked giggles, and Johnny lifts the hem of his shirt to pepper kisses all over his soft tummy. Fondness gushes from Ten’s entire being as he watches them, still on his front until his erection goes away.

“Gosh--” Taeyong breathes through giggles, one hand on Johnny’s shoulder, the other in his hair. He’s finally able to take a breath when Johnny stops kissing him and instead just rubs his cheek into his bare tummy, holding the kitten around his middle.

“So when are we gonna get to see that leather jacket again?” Ten asks a few minutes of comfortable silence later, turning on his side.

Johnny snorts. He re-positions himself around Taeyong, jostling him around until he’s got him in his arms, his whole tiger frame displacing him on the bed to spoon him. Nestled like this, Taeyong turns his head to look at him expectantly.

“Why? Did you--”

“Ow, my tail!”

“Sorry. Better?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you like it that much? I would’ve thought the jeans would’ve had more of an effect,” Johnny teases, but there’s traces of a cringe on his face still.

“Oh, they did. It’s still a sensitive subject though. Not sure Taeyong and I can talk about those calmly.”

Johnny giggles in response.

“It’s not even mine. I borrowed it from Jaehyun. Did it look good?” he asks, knowing full well his outfit from a couple of nights ago at Ten’s birthday party was indeed one of the finest things he’s ever worn.

“Hm,” Ten shrugs, holding back his praise, suddenly interested in Taeyong’s sleeve. “It was okay. Made you look bigger, I guess.”

Taryong grins and turns his head again to see Johnny better, “Ten was dying the whole night, didn’t you notice? God, I honestly don’t know how we didn’t... _jump_ you or something on the spot when you showed up.”

Johnny pulls back from Taeyong and laughs in delighted disbelief. His hair falls into his eyes. Ten thinks he’s breathtaking on so many levels. He hopes, however, that they don’t breach the subject of _why_ indeed they haven’t all jumped each other yet. That one is easier to tiptoe around and be frustrated about, then actually address.

“Damn! Well, I sure am happy to hear my fashion was... _on point_ that night then. Great present for Ten, right?”

Ten rolls his eyes at him.

“Just take note, okay? If you ever wanna do something nice for us…”

Johnny giggles some more and it’s annoyingly cute and Ten shakes his head.

“You two look like you fit together really nicely,” he nods at them, fonder now.

“I think Yongie is the perfect size for me to spoon him like this,” Johnny wiggles a little with the kitten in his arms and gets a giggle from him. “I haven’t spooned you enough to really prove this hypothesis, but I think you are, too. Pros of being a big tiger and all for me.”

“We should find out.”

“Yeah, we should,” Johnny winks shamelessly.

Ten can barely contain a flustered laugh, but he handles it well enough by grabbing Johnny by the chin and planting a loud kiss right on his lips.

“Alright, boys,” he says, stretching, “what are we doing today? Do you wanna try that board game from Mark and Hyuck? Or do you wanna take a fat nap, right here and right now? Cause that’s what I feel like doing.”

“Both.”

“Both sounds perfect,” Johnny echoes, already reaching down to unfold the blanket at the foot of the bed. Within a minute, the three of them are snuggled together and passed out.

Later that night, after they’ve rolled around in bed and played a mildly engaging board game, after Ten and Johnny do some work in the living room while Taeyong patters around making dinner, after goodnight kisses have been exchanged, Ten collapses in bed next to Taeyong and immediately goes for a hot kiss that the hybrid doesn’t expect.

“Yeah?” Taeyong breathes a laugh when they part, but then he sees the little flame in Ten’s eyes and feels his hand sneaking under the waistband of his boxers to rest on his hip. “Hold on, what are--”

“Can I suck you off? And eat you out? _God_ , I’m _so_ fucking horny, needed this all day,” Ten kisses him again and again, like he can’t get enough of Taeyong’s lips, until he finally gives him a chance to respond.

“Babe, we can’t,” Taeyong pants, but his hands are on Ten’s bare skin under his tank top. Ten is as irresistible as ever, lean and handsome and sexy. “He’s gonna know, that’s weird.”

“He’s not gonna know, you’ll be quiet!”

Taeyong shakes his head, “No, babe! He can smell it, you know.”

Ten makes a face, “Gross. And so what? Come on, kitten, I’m so hard already. Feel it.”

He drags Taeyong’s hand over to where his erection is filling his boxers and Taeyong whimpers involuntarily. This isn’t fair, at all. And maybe it’s weird, and maybe they shouldn’t, maybe they _definitely_ shouldn’t, because it puts Johnny in an awkward position, and it’s--it’s something Taeyong can’t think about because slick is already trickling out of him, so he squeezes Ten’s cock and kisses him deeply, and that’s how he ends up with three fingers inside of him and his dick in Ten’s mouth, a pillow pressed over his face to muffle any sounds he makes because Ten is _insatiable_ tonight and there’s nothing better than that.

 

❃

 

**[04-03 12:35 pm] Younghorangi:**

Hey babe

:*

What are u up to

 

**[04-03 12:38 pm] Kittyong:**

:* hey

Cleaning the house and getting everything tidy

**[04-03 12:39 pm] Younghorangi:**

LLJLKGFJGDKLFJGDFKL

 

**[04-03 12:40 pm] Kittyong:**

Ldfhgjdfghdfjkghdfjhdjkf

 

**[04-03 12:40 pm] Younghorangi:**

Im on my break ill be done at work in 2 hrs

Can i come by the apartment

 

**[04-03 12:41 pm] Kittyong:**

You really dont need to ask babe you can come any time you know that!!

I might still be cleaning but yeah just come by

 

**[04-03 12:41 pm] Younghorangi:**

Okay i’ll text u when im close

Cant wait to see u

;)

:*

But really im excited to see u and hold u!!

 

**[04-03 12:42 pm] Kittyong:**

……

Now im going to be thinking about that and only that

Come faster!

 

**[04-03 12:43 pm] Younghorangi:**

I’ll use my tiger powers to come faster!! Anything for my kitten

 

**[04-03 12:43 pm] Kittyong:**

**!!!!**

Too much ur too much

Im too shy for this

 

**[04-03 12:44 pm] Younghorangi:**

You just wait till i get there! I’m going to kiss you silly you’ve been warned

 

**[04-03 12:45 pm] Kittyong:**

  
  
  
  
  
  


 

 

 

**[04-03 12:46 pm] Younghorangi:**

Dfgffdgfd you’re too cute

Tennie coming home late tonight?

 

**[04-03 12:47 pm] Kittyong:**

No he should be home even earlier!

 

**[04-03 12:47 pm] Younghorangi:**

Perfect

Are you cooking tonight or can i bring some dinner

 

**[04-03 12:47 pm] Kittyong:**

I was gonna make some cutlets tonight

But were u thinking about something more special

Hehehe

 

**[04-03 12:48 pm] Younghorangi:**

Did u see that palce that opened across the street from the restaurant?

Its a sea food place

Gonna get us somethng a bit fancier i feel like

I haven’t been around the apartment as much wanna treat my favorite human and kitten

Sry for typos gotta get back 2 work

 

**[04-03 12:49 pm] Kittyong:**

Awwww babe!!

Don’t get too much if it’s expensive though okay

Waiting for u to come home <3

 

***

**[04-03 12:55 pm] Kittyong:**

Tennie……

Tennie………….

I rly love johnny why is he the sweetest ever…..

 

**[04-03 12:59 pm] Kittyong:**

:(

Tennie……

 

**[04-03 1:05 pm] Kittyong:**

  


**[04-03 1:07 pm] 101010:**

Omg yes hi whats wrong

Did he do something

Are u actually sad or just being a sensitive softie like usual

 

**[04-03 1:07 pm] Kittyong:**

Don’t act like i didn’t catch u sighing dreamily while scrolling thru pics of him two days ago!!!!!!!

But yeah no he’s just being really sweet i love him :(

He said he’s been away from the house more so he’s gonna bring fancy dinner

 

**[04-03 1:08 pm] 101010:**

I never said IM not soft either ur just obviously softer cause ur a kitten

 

**[04-03 1:08 pm] Kittyong:**

Okay yeah true

 

**[04-03 1:08 pm] 101010:**

Mmmmmm im excited for a fancy dinner then

Can i get a foot massage too

Maybe i can nap on the couch while u two purr on either side of me

 

**[04-03 1:09 pm] Kittyong:**

Just come home fast!

 

A couple of hours later, Taeyong is trimming a few hairs that are sticking out of his fluffy ears at odd angles, when the doorbell rings and Johnny announces himself. He yells out that it’s unlocked, and then Johnny’s voice floods the apartment.

“Honey! Honey, where are you, I brought dinner! Yongie, honey!” Johnny’s making his voice high pitched and adorable and Taeyong giggles before calling out again. After some rustling in the kitchen, the tiger makes his way to the bathroom. “Why hello there, young kitten. Fancy seeing you here.”

“Yeah, what a coincidence running into you in my own bathroom,” Taeyong smiles in the mirror at Johnny who leans against the door frame.

“What are you doing?”

“Trimming my ear fur. I’ll need a haircut soon, but this will do for now.”

“Hmm,” Johnny muses while Taeyong carefully clips another few hairs, holding his ear at the tip. “My hair is getting really shaggy too. Did you know that apparently Doyoung is good at cutting hair?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Jaehyun said Doyoung has been giving him haircuts for a few months now and it looks pretty good. Maybe I should ask him to cut mine, it’d be free too.”

“That could be fun.”

Johnny steps closer and lines himself up behind Taeyong for a gentle backhug, wrapping him up in his arms whole. Taeyong has to lower the scissors to snuggle into the tiger’s embrace and nuzzles into the side of his face.

“Oh, ow, you’re prickly,” he quickly pulls away in surprise, craning his neck to look at Johnny’s cheek where patchy stubble has grown longer than he’s ever seen it on him.

Johnny chuckles, “Sorry, I’ve been a bit lazy, didn’t shave this morning either. Is it that bad?”

“I mean,” Taeyong reaches up to run his fingers over Johnny’s cheek, “it doesn’t feel very nice. You look kinda hot though…”

Johnny laughs, swiping at Taeyong with his cheek again, “It’s my whiskers. I’m whiskery now. A true tiger.”

Taeyong laughs too and kisses him on the lips. Johnny moves slightly to the side of Taeyong’s frame and then the kitten feels their tails touch. He intertwines them without hesitation, suppressing a happy shudder.

“You look so different up close with this much facial hair. Whiskers,” Taeyong says, studying Johnny’s face. “I don’t know if I like it, but you should keep it till Ten comes home at least, I bet his reaction’s gonna be really funny.”

Johnny takes a closer look at himself in the mirror.

“Yeah, it doesn’t look great, it’s really patchy. Gives me kind of a rough look, huh?” he breathes a laugh, rubbing his cheek. “Back when I-- When I uh, was on the street for a while, I obviously didn’t really shave much. It got really bad at one point, so long, but so patchy, I looked truly feral.”

Johnny’s laughing, but Taeyong can only manage an uncomfortable smile. On one hand, he’s glad that Johnny can talk about that time of his life so lightheartedly, but on the other, Taeyong’s whole being seizes up when thinking about the horrible things Johnny’s been through.

“How are you feeling, are you tired?” Taeyong changes the subject, snipping at a few hairs on his left ear.

“Yeah, I’m a bit tired. I have homework to do, but I’d rather relax for a while first.”

“Oh! Hey! I was gonna groom my tail after this, maybe even paint my nails, you wanna have a little spa day?”

“Hell yes!” Johnny plants a noisy kiss on Taeyong’s cheek and lets go of him. “Perfect. I’ll go put the take out I got in the fridge and wait for you on the couch.”

Not even a minute later, Taeyong is startled by a loud crash and almost clips a piece of his ear off. Johnny’s voice sounds before he can even ask what happened.

“Sorry! I’m all good, just ran into the chair again,” comes his sheepish explanation and Taeyong laughs to himself. He thinks that perhaps it’s time to rearrange some things in the kitchen, seeing as Johnny continuously crashes into all kinds of objects or knocks over items with his tail. There are _some_ drawbacks to having a giant for a boyfriend, after all.

Taeyong pads into the kitchen pondering that b-word, where he finds Johnny looking at jars in one of the cabinets.

“Hey. Wanna make cookies?” he asks.

“Uh. You don’t wanna groom?”

“I do! I do, but do you wanna make cookies first? I’ve been craving something sweet, and I was just thinking about, uh…” the tiger trails off, setting down a jar of sugar on the counter, glancing at Taeyong. “Well, I was remembering this great recipe my uh, my previous owner had. Grandpa, he taught me this awesome really simple recipe for sugar cookies. It won’t take long! Can we bake some cookies, Yongie?”

Taeyong follows Johnny’s lead, as Johnny tries to remember the details of the recipe. Kneading the dough together and struggling with the rolling pin is exactly the kind of fun they both needed, and they joke and laugh together through all of it. They send Ten flour-sprinkled selfies and photos of the cookies. Even as Johnny recounts stories about him and Grandpa trying and failing to make these same cookies several times when he was first adopted, it’s with fondness and it’s comfortable, warm, and makes Taeyong happy to be hearing about that part of Johnny’s life for once.

“Oh, hey, you know what I was thinking earlier?” Johnny says, piling dirty cookware in the sink. He’s changed into shorts and a dark T-shirt that clings a little too well. “I might have some time this week to come to one of your dance practices. Do you have any this week?”

For all the build up Johnny witnessed in preparation for Ten’s studio showcase, the tiger was hugely disappointed to have a mandatory exam prep session come up that prevented him from actually attending. All three of them were bummed out and Johnny even brought them flowers late that night, as a small apology. He’d been so looking forward to finally witnessing the glory of Ten’s work and Taeyong’s performance. They decided that, until the studio has another more put together performance, Johnny can stop by some lessons and see what it’s all about, but it’d gotten lost in their busy routines for the last few weeks.

“Oh yeah! Yeah, let me check the schedule, but I do believe we have two, they’re both in the evening,” Taeyong lights up in excitement and Johnny’s so fond that he gives him a gentle but smothering hug and kisses his cheek.

The delightful smell of cookies in the oven fills the kitchen while the two hybrids clean up and chat idly. They take the next half hour to groom each other and, in the process, decide that they need to go brush shopping together some time soon, as Johnny’s fur requires a different kind of utensil than Taeyong’s and it’d be nice to have one like that at the Lees’ place.

 

As the afternoon settles over both of them, sinks them deeper into the couch and into warm silence, Taeyong folds his legs to himself and rests his head on Johnny’s chest, who immediately reaches an arm around the kitten and pulls him close. The TV drones on comfortingly. Johnny is almost drifting away, but the program they’re watching is actually interesting, so he doesn’t startle when Taeyong speaks up.

“I’m sorry about the other night. When you were staying over and Ten and I…” he trails off and moves away from Johnny, unable to look at him, face flushed. “When we uh, you know. I mean, I know you must have figured it out immediately. I’m sorry.” 

He finally glances at Johnny, but the tiger’s face is hard to decipher, apart from the prominent blush in his cheeks.

“When...when I stayed the night? What do you mean, Yongie?”

Taeyong huffs in exasperated embarrassment.

“When...when Ten and I had sex, I know you knew, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Johnny, we shouldn’t have, it’s weird and it’s...it’s...not fair to you. We’re three now.”

Johnny’s face is a shade away from fire, but he just laughs loudly and smacks Taeyong’s knee playfully.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t sometimes have fun...one on one, not all three of us! It’s alright! You don’t have to apologize to _me_ for having some fun--”

“No, but _we_ haven’t even done anything like that! The three of us.”

Johnny closes his mouth and swallows down reassurances. He tries another smile.

“Okay. It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Thank you for bringing it up. It’s okay!”

Taeyong watches him still, apologetic frown pulling at his features. He nods then, nuzzling his cheek into Johnny’s shoulder, and Johnny pulls him closer again with a reassuring peck. A moment later, the tiger finds Taeyong’s hand and links their fingers, playing with their hands in his lap. He throws Taeyong a couple of glances, and Taeyong glances back, and they’re both smiling a little, and it’s only natural when Johnny leans in to steal a couple of kisses.

They laugh as they kiss, then kiss some more, sparkling with something so warm. Johnny pulls Taeyong closer with an arm around his waist and presses a few kisses into his hair.

“What’s this? This little scar over here?” Johnny asks and kisses the spot he’s asking about, right at the top of Taeyong’s right cheekbone. His voice is barely above a whisper.

“Ah. It’s a birthmark,” Taeyong explains. Their faces are so close, he’s almost afraid to look at Johnny, suddenly shy, even though they were kissing just seconds ago. “Had it since I was a newborn kitten. It kind of grew as I grew, but it stopped at some point.”

“Well, it’s very cute,” Johnny says. His fingers stroke patterns over Taeyong’s waist. Taeyong looks up at him with his big, soft, charming eyes and the tiger can barely contain all the warmth blooming inside. “Bet you were the cutest newborn kitten ever. You’re the cutest kitten now, after all.”

Taeyong giggles and moves just a centimeter closer, so the tips of their noses brush playfully. It’s so intimate and glorious.

“I was. Ten has some photos lying around that the adoption center gave him, if you ever need proof.”

Johnny grins. Taeyong can truly be so charming when he wants, he has him wrapped around his little finger and the tiger minds not one bit. Indeed, he minds so little, that he closes the gap between them and melts their lips together. Their tongues meet seconds later, still playful, and the kiss turns a bit wet and feels more fun, but more heated too, as their lips slide together and their hot breaths mingle and Taeyong’s hand has come up to cup Johnny’s face. Their kisses pick up in passion and intensity, Johnny leans further into Taeyong, lets go of his fingers in favor of sliding a hand up his thigh - and maybe he doesn’t mean anything by it, maybe it’s just natural, but it sends a full-body shiver through the kitten right as Johnny licks into his mouth. Johnny’s stubble, patchy or not, scratches Taeyong’s face just right every now and again and it’s the last straw, and Taeyong is ready to give himself up entirely.

Before they know it, they’re shifting, readjusting, barely breaking their heated kiss, so Taeyong can scoot back, get a foot up on the couch and spread his legs and pull Johnny in, a hand curled into his shirt. The tiger eagerly climbs up on the sofa and brackets Taeyong’s body with his arms and dives right back in, sucking Taeyong’s lower lip between his lips. They’re pressed so close, the heat is fantastic, but when Johnny takes the lead on the kiss and licks into Taeyong’s mouth again, Taeyong makes the tiniest sound of pleasure and it sets Johnny’s skin _ablaze._ Mumbling a _holy shit_ into Taeyong’s mouth, the tiger nips on his lips just as Taeyong’s fingers slip into his hair. Taeyong kisses so sweetly even in this intensity, passion and want seep through every movement, yet it’s not as openly hungry, more so responsive, happy to follow Johnny’s pace, to be led, to be taken.

“You’re so beautiful,” Johnny pulls back to look at Taeyong, all splayed out under him, ears twitching, lips redder than Johnny’s ever seen them, eyes big, eager, gorgeous, needy. His delicate fingers on the tiger’s scalp send shivers through him.

Just when Taeyong thought they couldn’t be pressed to each other any tighter, Johnny shifts, shuffles his knees even closer and it only serves to push Taeyong’s thighs further up, and now their chests are pressed together too and so are their crotches and Johnny holds the kitten’s face is both hands and kisses him with so much reverence and passion that Taeyong feels like a small divinity being worshipped by the handsomest tiger alive. He’s hot and overwhelmed in the best way possible, and _God_ , Johnny is just such a good kisser, his large hands heavenly holding him, the weight of him, their scents mingling wonderfully, yet Taeyong’s about to lose it when he feels what is without any doubt Johnny’s erection pressing into his thigh through Johnny’s shorts, and to know, to know that is all for _him,_ for Taeyong, sends a wild rush through him and he whimpers into their kiss again and his hands find their way under the hem of Johnny’s shirt and suddenly, suddenly he’s touching more skin than he ever has.

Breath shaky, Johnny stops to look at him again, propping himself on an elbow. The warmth of his brown eyes is unparalleled, even now.

“I want you so bad,” the tiger whispers, so earnestly that Taeyong trembles whole in his embrace. Johnny kisses him over and over, his lips, his cheeks, his jawline, his neck, down to his loose collar and Taeyong doesn’t hold back his moans, especially since Johnny is definitely grinding against him.

“Johnny,” Taeyong breathes. His voice drips with need, “Take it off, take your shirt off.”

“Yes, baby,” Johnny mumbles, so unnecessarily, as if in a daze, gives his neck a final wet kiss and lifts up to pull his shirt off.

Taeyong uses that moment to discard his own shirt, and then there’s a simultaneous gasp from both of them. It’s the first time they’ve seen each other shirtless. Johnny bites down on his lip, seized by so much arousal and affection, eyes flitting over Taeyong’s lean torso and his little pierced nipples - an intoxicating sight - and toned belly and mouth-watering collarbones and the world’s most adorable belly button, and Taeyong, in turn, feels self conscious, knows there’s a trail of hickeys down his chest and his hand goes to cover them unconsciously. But all that is background noise in his mind where everything is screaming _JOHNNY!_. Johnny who’s so big and glorious leaning over him, Johnny whose chest is so beautifully defined, Johnny, who Taeyong imagined would have, like, an eight-pack of something, a rock solid slate of abs, but whose stomach is instead on the toned side, yet soft. A sparse trail of orange-brown hairs runs from his belly button to somewhere under his belt, and a hint of V-lines is threatening to drive Taeyong mad.

Delighted, Taeyong brings a hand to feel Johnny’s chest and belly, and it sparks a shaky breath out of the tiger, just as he runs his palm up Taeyong’s side to brush a thumb over his nipple. The feeling of the barbell is so new and exciting, but what really hits him like a punch to the gut is the moans that drift out of Taeyong. Unable to take this for a second longer, Johnny kisses him again, both thumbs on his nipples, swallows his little groans and responds with his own, until they’re grinding against each other again and Taeyong is so wet, he’s getting worried about the couch. Johnny’s kissing him so thoroughly, and Taeyong can’t help himself, reaches between their bodies to feel Johnny’s erection - and, _Lord_ , he’s so big, rock hard, and Taeyong moans so loud into the kiss that Johnny pulls away for a second, but it seems to be all it takes for the kitten to snap out of the heated daze.

Just like that, the spell is broken, and Taeyong stops Johnny with a gentle hand (paw).

Johnny searches his eyes, but seems to catch up almost instantly.

“We should stop,” Taeyong whispers.

Johnny’s already nodding.

“We should stop.”

“I’m sorry,” Taeyong raises his head for another kisses, then one more. “I love you, I’m sorry we have to stop, it’s just--”

“I love you too, it’s okay.”

“We just have to-- It’s not fair, we’ll just. When Ten comes home…”

“I know. You’re right,” Johnny whispers right against his lips and kisses him again, so tenderly. He trails a few pecks along his cheek to his forehead, then pushes himself away.

Taeyong presses his eyes closed and exhales deeply. He sits up just as Johnny is rearranging his shorts, and immediately wishes he could sink into the cushions and disappear.

_Fuck._

He _touched_ him, he _felt up_ Johnny’s cock, and holy hell--

“I’m gonna get some water,” Johnny says and springs from the couch.

They’re both beet red, which seems to be almost a default state lately, and Taeyong hates it as much as he loves the reasons behind it. He pulls his tail into his lap and tries to regulate his breathing, so his heart will stop threatening to beat out of his chest. His own dick is very reluctant to soften, but at least he’s wearing looser sweatpants, he thinks while pulling his shirt on. He pulls Johnny’s top from where it was shucked under the coffee table.

“I’ll be right back!” he calls out and dashes to his and Ten’s bedroom to change his underwear. That tiger’s gonna be the death of him.

When he returns to the living room, Johnny’s perched on the couch with a plate of their sugar cookies in his lap. Two glasses of milk sit on the table. He smiles at Taeyong, but his ears are laid quite low.

“Good idea,” Taeyong takes one of the glasses, breathing an awkward laugh as he sits next to the tiger. He doesn’t try to put distance between them.

“Cheers?” Johnny holds up the other glass.

“Cheers.”

“Do I have a milk moustache on my whiskers?” Johnny asks and purses his lips cutely. Taeyong laughs and pretends to wipe milk from his own upper lip.

“I can’t wait to hear what Ten has to say when he sees you with so much stubble. Felt kinda good when we were kissing though…”

Johnny throws him a look, “Oh yeah? You’re saying I should grow it out more?”

“I don’t know about _that_!”

They giggle together for a moment, and Taeyong takes a bite out of a cookie, nodding in approval.

“We did a good job. These are amazing.”

Johnny smiles at him and dips his own cookie in his milk.

“We should talk about it with Ten,” he says. “So it’ll be fair and we can...I don’t know, we can know how we want to proceed.”

“Yeah. Yeah, we will,” Taeyong munches on a bite. His face is heated again. He glances at Johnny, all kinds of affection flowing through him. “That was _so_ hot though. Wow.”

Johnny laughs and his whole face is just so handsome, those dimples and those sparkling eyes.

“Don’t get me started, _please_ ,” he says, then tilts his head to playfully rub their ears together and spurs more happy yelps from Taeyong.

And so, not even two hours later, when Taeyong is crocheting sprawled on the couch (trying hard not to get distracted by his ball of yarn every three minutes) and Johnny is deep into a literature review (throwing occasional glances at Taeyong’s ball of yarn), Ten comes home and collapses into the armchair next to the couch.

 

“God,” he groans, rubbing the soles of his feet. “Am I getting old? I feel like my legs have been in a lot more pain the last few weeks than ever before.”

 

“You’re not old, baby, you just need a good, long break,” Taeyong looks at him from the couch armrest.

 

“Yes. You are getting old. Old man,” Johnny says flatly, a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth.

 

Ten squints at him in distaste, then in confusion.

 

“What’s on your face?”

 

Taeyong bursts into laughter and kicks Johnny’s thigh, and Johnny feigns an affronted face, touching his cheek.

 

“What? You don’t like my new look?”

 

“I...I don’t hate it actually, but it’s so patchy…” Ten muses, stepping closer to take a better look. He runs his thumb over Johnny’s prickly chin. He’s wearing a loose tank top that hangs open as he leans over the hybrid and the temperature in the room rises again. “Yeah, no, it’s pretty bad, you should shave it off or grow it out longer. Which...I don’t know about that either.”

 

Taeyong sets the table for an early dinner and Johnny helps him unpack all the take out while Ten showers. The food Johnny bought is delightful and the three of them eat happily, excited to have found a new restaurant to frequent. Amidst the easy, pleasant conversation and lovely-as-ever feeling of being together like this, Taeyong spares a moment to think about how ridiculous it is that Ten has _no_ idea about the tension vibrating between the hybrids right now. Pheromones have been flying all afternoon and they’re both just barely holding back slick from flowing, even had to keep a window open the whole time. And Ten has no clue.

 

They go through the appetizers and entrees and sauces with diligence and gusto, until all the containers are empty. Taeyong is slumped over the table, tummy on the verge of bursting.

 

“That was too good,” Johnny grunts, then burps.

 

“What about the cookies you guys made?” Ten asks, twirling a toothpick between his fingers and glancing at the counter behind Taeyong who just groans in response.

 

They sit in stuffed silence for a bit longer, until Ten clears his throat.

 

“So, what’s up with the two of you?” he asks, and the air stills. “Did something happen?”

 

Johnny lets the air whoosh out of his lungs loudly and sags in his chair in pained relief. Taeyong looks between them. He’s tired.

 

“Yeah? I’ll take that as a yes?”

 

“Well--”

 

“We almost boned. That’s what happened,” Johnny says lifelessly, just as done with all this tension.

 

Ten laughs a little, glancing at one, then the other. He’s wearing his round-rimmed glasses and yet another loose tank top, a look for the books. His eyes are suddenly a lot more intense.

 

“Almost?”

 

“Didn’t feel right doing it without you. I mean, given that like, we haven’t really...talked about it? The three of us,” Taeyong explains.

 

Ten rolls his eyes and lets out a resigned sigh, “Why do we have to _talk_ about it? Why can’t we be like normal people and just bang impromptu and enjoy each other?”

 

“Don’t say that,” Taeyong flinches. “This is better. We’re making sure we’re on the same page.”

 

Ten nods, rubbing at his nose, “You’re right. You’re right. So what’s there to talk about?”

 

“I just feel like I wouldn’t know where to start, you know?” Johnny spills, like he’s been holding it for so long, which he most definitely has. “Like, how...I mean...I don’t want it to be awkward and weird. But I feel like it _has_ to be the three of us the first time, it’s not fair otherwise. Doesn’t feel right.”

 

Taeyong is nodding along and biting on his lip. Ten studies them.

 

“I hate to say it, but it’s probably always gonna be a bit awkward the first time. No matter how hot we are for each other,” he says. “But we can ease into it. Sounds like you two need to clean up and be ready to get feisty tonight, hm?”

 

Feisty it gets, so much so that Johnny’s head is spinning by the time he’s back in the bathroom, well past midnight, cleaning himself up yet again.

 

Taeyong realizes what Ten means about easing into it as soon as they enter the bedroom and his owner speaks up. They spent the last few hours shuffling around each other on egg shells, and the kitten made sure to take a good, long bath, which unfortunately, did little to calm his nerves.

And here they are now.

 

“Johnny, sit in the the armchair. Let’s pull it closer, over here,” Ten says, hand slipping down Johnny’s back.

 

He relaxes against the pillows after pushing the covers aside and pulls Taeyong close, chest against his back.

 

“It’s a seat with a great view, but I thought--” Johnny starts with a smile, but Ten waves a hand.

 

“Trust me. Just trust me on this. Let’s start like this. Let us put on a little show for you. Let you see how we do things. All for you,” Ten says. He’s massaging Taeyong’s thighs as he speaks and Taeyong is already on edge with arousal. “And you, you can enjoy it as you please, if you wanna touch yourself, if you’re comfortable joining in... Whatever works. But do give us a chance to put on a show for a bit first, okay? Let’s ease into it.”

 

Johnny nods and bites down on his lip, focused, eyes darting to where Ten’s hands are slipping under Taeyong’s shirt.

 

“Baby, we can still do colors, but we’ll go easy, okay? You can just say no, too. But let me lead us,” Ten whispers to the kitten. Johnny is fixated on their closeness, how easy and established the trust between them is. He craves having the same with them.

 

Taeyong nods. In his lap, his fingers card through the fur on his tail, and Johnny unconsciously does the same to his own. Ten nudges Taeyong’s head and kisses him on the lips, gently but possessively. He continues massaging his thighs and the bare skin under his shirt while they kiss. At first, Taeyong is rigid, watching Johnny out of the corner of his eye, but then his eyelids flutter closed and he relaxes in his boyfriend’s arms. He takes a few deep breaths, as Ten’s tongue coaxes his own out, and the mixture of scents of home and arousal comfort him.

 

The lights are dimmed, a stack of towels awaits on the vanity table, a bottle of lube and a box of toys and other fun items rest on the nightstand, and Johnny is already rock solid in his shorts. Embarrassing and phenomenal at the same time.

 

But who wouldn’t be? Who wouldn’t be twitching in his seat and biting on his lips and feeling his erection throb against his thigh at the sight of Taeyong and Ten making out on the bed where they’ve without doubt done things Johnny would get a stroke if he imagined?

 

Taeyong starts letting out gentle moans, just like before when Johnny had him under himself on the couch, and Ten makes their kisses sloppier. He’s pushing the kitten’s shirt up and soon has it above his chest and there’s that maddening groan again that Taeyong makes when Ten runs his fingertips over his nipples. Johnny presses the heel of his palm to his crotch. Ten whispers something and Taeyong’s eyes fly open to look at Johnny while the human squeezes at his pierced nipples.

 

The temperature in the room rises. Ten rids both himself and his pet of their shirts and starts trailing open-mouthed kisses along Taeyong’s jawline, down his neck. Every other second, he looks out at Johnny, his gaze so intense and challenging, as his tongue works on Taeyong’s skin. There’s so much power in every one of his movements, the sharpness of his chin and the way he holds Taeyong and turns him into putty.

 

When Ten’s hand slips into Taeyong’s underwear and closes around his leaking cock, Taeyong shudders, groans, lifts his hips off the bed to push into Ten’s hold. Johnny’s fingers work over his own clothed dick.

 

“Yongie has the prettiest cock in the world,” Ten says matter-of-factly, hand moving inside Taeyong’s sweatpants, and Johnny stops breathing. “It’s small, but it’s just the right size for a kitten.”

 

Johnny remembers how to breathe and he can just _picture_ it in his head.

 

“Ready to show Johnny, baby? I know you’ve wanted to for a really long time.”

 

Oh, hell.

 

“He loves being showed off,” Ten says to the tiger. He licks his lips slowly, drinking in the effect he’s having on both hybrids. “Let’s get these off, kitten.”

 

Taeyong eagerly helps him push his shorts and his underwear down and kick them away, and in the frenzy of movement Johnny can’t see too well at first, and when they settle back against the pillows the kitten is covering himself with a hand that Ten gently but firmly moves away and now, now Johnny can see. Taeyong in all his naked glory, squirming and blushing and biting his lips, and he’s more beautiful than Johnny could have imagined, and how is Johnny supposed to handle this _and_ have sanity left for when Ten gets naked?

 

“Yongie, you’re perfect,” he breathes, watching Taeyong’s thighs fall open, his cock rest in the crook of his hip, hard, leaking, desperate to be touched.

 

Ten is kind and generous tonight and jerks Taeyong off slow and satisfying. The kitten’s head falls back against this shoulder and moans fall out of his mouth, deep and breathy. Unable to hold himself back any longer, Johnny shoves a hand down his underwear and lifts his ass of the armchair to push his shorts down his thighs.

 

“ _Jesus_ Christ, Johnny,” Ten exclaims and Johnny’s cheeks burn, more with pride and arousal than anything.

 

“Oh my God…”

 

Johnny can’t help the smirk spreading over his face as he strokes himself on full display for them to watch.

 

“I knew it was big, but this…”

 

Ten’s mouth is watering just watching Johnny drag his fist up and down his thick, gorgeous, veiny cock. He’s not huge, he’s probably not even much larger than average, but he’s definitely bigger than anyone Ten and Taeyong have been with for years. And he’s _Johnny_ , he’s the sexy tiger they’ve been lusting over, and he’s so perfectly built, and Taeyong finally, _finally_ knows where that vaguely orange trail of hairs leads and it’s better than he could have hoped for.

 

“Am I putting on a show for you or you for me?” Johnny asks, so cocky and irritating, that Ten scoffs and rubs his palm over the sensitive crown of Taeyong’s dick to make him squirm again.

 

“Yongie, you’re so wet, baby,” he says, and Johnny is startled to notice how his other hand has dipped between Taeyong’s thighs to his hole.

 

“I want something inside. Please,” Taeyong breathes, his eyes big and pleading on Ten, then darting to look at Johnny who squeezes his cock and lets a sigh fall from his lips.

 

Ten curses, shaking his head at how hot everything unfolding before him is. He nudges Taeyong away for a moment, just enough so he can rearrange his own dick inside his shorts and give it a good few tugs. He then reaches over for the box on the nightstand.

 

“What do you think, Johnny?” Ten asks, holding up a curved dildo with a thick handle.

 

“Fuck. Yeah, that’s great. That’s perfect.”

 

Taeyong bends his knee and spreads his legs without being prompted. His lips are shiny with spit, his eyes - hooded. He relishes in being the center of all this attention, has given himself up to the moment completely.

 

“Aahh,” the kitten draws out a moan when Ten sinks two fingers into his leaking hole.

Johnny realizes his jaw is slack moments later when he feels himself too close and has to stop jerking himself off, just sit there and stupidly watch Ten work his fingers inside Taeyong with such experienced movements, like he knows exactly where to twist or press, so that Taeyong falls apart more in his arms and the stream of sounds pouring from his mouth only intensifies.

 

Ten brings the dildo to Taeyong’s mouth and taps his lips with the tip and Johnny shudders. Taeyong parts his lips and sticks his tongue out, and then Ten is fucking his mouth with the toy, getting it all wet while Taeyong struggles with the girth and audibly gags at least once. His owner takes mercy on the kitten and pulls out the toy until just the tip is in and he’s making Taeyong look like the neediest little slut licking and sucking on it while getting fingered.

 

Alarmed, overwhelmed, Johnny also realizes he’s at serious risk of ruining this armchair with his slick, so he bolts to the vanity table, trying not to tear his eyes from the scene on the bed for a moment. Seconds later, he’s sitting on top of a towel, tail tucked out of the way, hand back squeezing around the tip of his leaking cock. Ten is already lubing up the curved toy.

 

“Let’s get you more comfortable,” he says, rearranging Taeyong so he’s still between his legs but resting more on the pillows, giving Ten easier access.

 

Johnny just about loses his mind when the tip of the dildo sinks inside Taeyong’s stretched hole. He’s leaning forward in the chair, squeezing at his cock, trying to make sure every second of this is etched into his brain for an eternity. Unfolding before him is the epitome, the essence of how he sees Taeyong and Ten.

 

When the dildo is in as far as it’ll go, Ten firmly keeps it from sliding out and kisses Taeyong’s slack mouth.

 

“Doing great, baby, Johnny’s loving seeing you like this,” he says, loud enough for Johnny to hear. Johnny immediately feels irresistibly compelled to confirm, to assure Taeyong that indeed, he very much does love all of this.

 

“I do,” he croaks out, then clears his throat. “Yongie, you look so good, I can’t believe how well you take it. You’re beautiful.”

 

Ten smirks at him with this wild satisfaction in his eyes, but Johnny would give them both the world, so he doesn’t mind one bit.

 

“Please,” Taeyong whimpers out, to Ten, but he’s looking at Johnny.

 

Ten starts moving the toy in and out of Taeyong, taking advantage of the curve to hit all sorts of good spots inside. Before Johnny knows what’s happening, Taeyong’s moans and groans hit a new high and he’s cumming all over his belly, little cock spasming. Johnny lets out a gasp. His hand is a blur on his shaft and a second later he moans and curses out loud as he also spills all over his fist.

 

Ten is looking between Taeyong, who is already fucking himself onto the toy again as best as he can, and Johnny, who is slumped into the armchair, but his cock hasn’t softened at all. For the first time, worry flashes through his mind: how is he supposed to keep up with _this_?

 

“So you two get to have all the fun while I do all the work?”

 

Johnny laughs at that, while Taeyong stops jerking himself off and whips his head to look at Ten.

 

“Babe--”

 

Ten kisses him instead, deep and consuming, and starts to maneuver himself out from under his pet.

 

“I think it’s time we show Johnny something else, what do you think? Gotta show him how good you are with your mouth, hm?”

 

Johnny is at the edge of his seat again. Before he knows it, Ten has discarded his shirt and is in the process of pulling his shorts off, and he’s fucking breathtaking. He’s small, phenomenally toned, powerful, and Johnny’s salivating at the sight of his cock, something that does not escape Ten’s attention. Ten strokes himself a couple of times, biting his lip and staring the tiger down. And who is Johnny not to cower and submit?

 

But it seems like that will be a treat for later because Ten settles back against the pillows and pulls Taeyong between his legs, this time with his back towards Johnny. The dildo is still inside him, since Ten instructed him to keep it in, and Johnny gets an even better view like this. But he doesn’t know where to look - at the toy disappearing inside Taeyong, or the kittenish licks Taeyong is giving the tip of Ten’s dick. His own hand is a blur on his erection, using his cum to ese the slide, and he can’t, he can’t just sit and watch from the side anymore.

 

“Make some room for me?” he says lamely, in an effort to prevent his brains from exploding out of his ears due to the fact that he’s touching Taeyong’s bare back while Taeyong thrusts a dildo into his own ass and looks up at Johnny mid-lick on Ten’s dick.

 

He sits on the edge of the bed and grabs Taeyong by the chin and pulls him in for a kiss, all sloppy and noisy. Taeyong tastes like Ten, of course he does, and Johnny moans into his mouth, then nudges him back towards his owner’s crotch. The kitten groans to himself as he takes Ten’s cock into his mouth, and Johnny’s jealous, so, so jealous of both of them.

 

Ten lets out a breathy sound, “Come here,” he says, pulling the tiger into a kiss by his shirt. He’s such a passionate, pointed kisser, Johnny can barely keep up, but he loves it. “Take this off. Come on.”

 

Johnny shucks his shirt off and Ten groans, immediately reaching out to trace his chest. In his lap, Taeyong is obediently bobbing on his dick.

 

“Damn. Yeah,” Ten says, groping Johnny some more while lightly thrusting into Taeyong’s mouth. “Your shorts too, let me touch you.”

 

Reminding himself that now is not the time to get self conscious, Johnny complies. Ten’s hand is on his muscled thigh as soon as he sits back down, then it’s around his cock and Johnny gasps and twitches and readily responds to the kiss Ten leans in for. Taeyong moans around Ten’s shaft, then pulls off to watch. He runs a hand along Johnny’s thigh and gets him to squirm some more.

 

“Can I--? Johnny?” the kitten asks while jerking Ten’s shaft.

 

“Fuck, yeah, that’s so hot,” Ten pulls away from the kiss to say. Then he thinks of something and rolls his eyes, says exasperatedly, “But hold on one second, we haven’t-- We didn’t talk about safety. Johnny, Yongie and I don’t use any kind of protection, since we’re just, we only hook up with each other, and we got tested...I don’t know, I think we last got tested last fall. So we’re clean. But I think--”

 

But Johnny’s nodding along and interrupts, “Yeah, I have condoms in my bag. I can get them. I’m clean too, but it’s okay, I’ll go get them.”

 

Taeyong pouts and rubs the crown of Ten’s dick on his lips while Johnny’s gone.

 

“I wanna taste _him_ , not _rubber_!”

 

Ten laughs and pulls him up and licks at his lips before kissing him.

 

“Next time,” he reassures, just as Johnny comes back.

 

They shuffle around until they’re all comfortable and Johnny’s sitting next to Ten, but this time Taeyong is between _his_ legs.

 

“You wanna help me?” Johnny laughs at how closely Taeyong is watching his hands as he rolls as condom on his thick cock, but Taeyong just nods and rolls the rubber over the last few inches and Johnny is confused by how hot that is.

 

He gets little time to think about that, though, because Taeyong is going right for the prize. The kitten licks hungrily at his cock, base to tip, then his eyes slip shut and he takes it into his mouth, and the heat makes Johnny bang his head back against the wall, groaning. Johnny is significantly thicker than Taeyong is used to, so he gives himself a chance to adjust, experiments, tries to find the best angle to take the most of Johnny down while loosely jerking Ten off with his other hand and trying to keep the dildo inside himself.

 

“Ah, Yongie, you’re so good,” Johnny moans, tangling his fingers in Taeyong’s hair. The sigh of Taeyong’s cherry red lips stretched around his cock is mesmerizing, but if he keeps staring, he’ll lose his marbles a lot sooner than he’d like. After all, the sexiest hybrid he’s ever seen is between his legs giving him head right now while said hybrid’s owner is pulling him into a kiss, and that’s something to be savoured.

 

“He loves sucking cock,” Ten says against Johnny’s lips, “And I bet he’s loving sucking _your_ big cock. I gotta try that next time, too.”

 

Johnny jumps a little at that, and at the magical swirl of Ten’s tongue inside his mouth, and causes Taeyong to gag. He’s quick to loosen his hold on Taeyong’s hair, but the kitten shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, he’s more and more eager, making various noises to himself as he bobs and jerks his own cock. He’s going faster and deeper, choking almost on every descent, and drool flows down Johnny’s erection, and it’s fucking hot, but Taeyong’s face is also too red, he has to pull off to wheeze in a deep breath because of how much he’s been choking.

 

“Yongie, are you okay? Take a break,” Johnny manages, cupping his jaw in concern. He’s replaced the kitten’s hand on Ten’s dick with his own, but he pauses.

 

“Breathe, baby. Don’t force yourself to take too much,” Ten says.

 

But Taeyong is determined, loving the weight of Johnny’s cock in his mouth and stretching his throat, loving the idea of how he’s _proving_ himself to the tiger, showing him how talented he is at pleasuring. He bobs rapidly, pressing his tongue to Johnny’s dick and twisting his fist over what he can’t take in his mouth. He goes deeper and deeper, opens his mouth wider, but Johnny is just so big, so much bigger than Taeyong is used to, and it gets him every time the head hits the back of his throat and he gags.

 

When he pulls off to cough for the second time, Ten’s hand on his face stops him from diving back in.

 

“Yongie. You’re pushing yourself too much,” Ten says, leaning closer. “Relax.”

 

“No, please, I’m so close, wanna make Johnny cum,” he mewls in response and tries again, but Johnny, too stops him.

 

“He gets like this sometimes,” Ten says, shuffling into his knees and bringing his pet in for a kiss. “Baby kitty, it’s okay. Let’s get you off, come, lay down.”

 

And while Ten spreads Taeyong’s thighs open and takes over the dildo inside of him again, thrusting against his sensitive prostate and making him squirm, Johnny marvels at the way his hand covers Taeyong’s entire erection and kisses him deeply, swallows his moans, until Taeyong moves his head away and his whimpers get more high pitched and drawn out and he erupts all over himself for the second time. It’s a breathtaking sight, Taeyong’s arched back and glistening skin, his mouth fallen open in a scream of pleasure, his hair plastered all over his forehead.

 

They watch him for a moment longer, until he settles, panting. Ten gives him a gentle kiss, to soften the sensation of the dildo being pulled out. Taeyong comes to pretty quickly and, still breathless, looks around.

 

“Cum on me, on my chest. No, in my-- in my mouth,” he says, already reaching out to feel both men.

 

Ten snorts fondly, then glances at Johnny. The tiger’s already gotten rid of the condom, so he shrugs, hopeful that they can grant Taeyong’s wish. A moment later, they position themselves over him on their knees, Ten lining himself up with the kitten’s lips. Johnny, ambidextrous and on the verge on his second orgasm, jerks himself off frantically with his one large hand, while his other roams the expanse of Ten’s back, pulls him closer as they kiss and gropes at Ten’s ass in a way that makes the human moan in surprise.

 

Ten finishes first, amid the little licks Taeyong’s giving his cock, and he spills inside Taeyong’s mouth and just a bit over his cheek, just enough that Johnny gets to see what he’s coveted for so long - Taeyong wrecked and covered in cum, and it sends him over the edge too, so that he paints the kitten’s chest white and feels his entire body tingle in the electric aftershocks.

 

Later, seconds or minutes, Johnny doesn’t know how long - all he knows is that he never wants to get up from this pillow and the feeling of two sated bodies next to him. Alas, he’s sticky with sweat and cum, so he pushes himself up onto his elbows. Taeyong is snore-purring softly next to him, lips parted, tail curled over his thigh next to where Johnny’s own tail rests on the kitten’s skin.

 

“We’ll clean him up in a bit,” Ten whispers, putting his phone down. He’s glancing between the two hybrids, but then his eyes stop on Johnny and he smiles, real fond and soft, like he can’t contain himself.

 

All Johnny can do is mirror that happy, tired, relieved, satisfied smile and lean in to kiss him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and for waiting for this chapter!!! Please let me know what you thought, in the comments or wherever - feedback is what motivates me to write faster and I always love, love, love hearing from readers, it's the most gratifying thing ever. On the other hand, it's very demotivating and discouraging to see the view count or kudos count go up but the feedback rate drop. :[
> 
> Anyway, so it finally happened, huh??
> 
> You can find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/johnxuxi) and [cc](http://curiouscat.me/johnxuxi) where I share too many cat memes and say they look like stripes characters as well as share occasional extra headcanons about the fic!

**Author's Note:**

> UNDER NO CONDITIONS MAY THIS FIC OR ANY PART OF IT BE REUPLOADED OR COPIED ANYWHERE ELSE.


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